Edetària Via Edetana Garnatxa Negra/Garnatxa Peluda 2023

Edetària makes Via Edetana in D.O. Terra Alta, the high, dry plateau in the south-west of Catalonia named after an old Roman road. The blend is Garnacha Peluda and Garnacha Tinta, two strains of Grenache that thrive in the appellation's heat. Terra Alta sits at altitude with poor, often calcareous soils and a continental climate cooled by the inland Cierzo wind, conditions that hold the vines' water stress in check and let the fruit ripen slowly while keeping freshness. The hairy-leaved Peluda in particular resists the sun, an asset on these exposed sites. The wine ages 12 months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange settles the tannins and folds in spice and a light toast without smothering the ripe Grenache fruit. It pours a deep cherry red. The nose is generous, with red berries and plum over black pepper, liquorice and the dried Mediterranean herbs that mark the region. The palate is full and warming at 14.5 percent, the fruit ripe and the finish long, peppery and faintly earthy. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees with roast lamb, grilled pork or roasted root vegetables.