Pasos de San Martín 2023

Pasos de San Martin comes from the Artazu winery in Navarra, made entirely from Garnacha grown near the village of San Martin de Unx. The vines are around thirty-five years old and sit at roughly 600 metres above sea level, where the cool Pyrenean climate brings colder weather through much of the year. That altitude and the wide gap between warm days and cold nights slow ripening, which preserves acidity and gives the wine its fresh red fruit and aromatic lift rather than the jammy weight Garnacha can show in hotter sites. The fruit is harvested and vinified by conventional means, then aged for twelve months in French oak, a measured period that adds spice and rounds the tannin while letting the variety's fragrance through. The colour is a bright cherry red. The nose leads with raspberry, cherry and red plum, followed by dried herbs, liquorice and pepper. The palate is medium bodied with supple tannin and good acidity, the cool-climate freshness carrying a savoury, lightly spiced finish. Serve at 16 degrees. Good with lamb, roast meats and game.