Perelada Finca Garbet 2022

Perelada farms Finca Garbet on the Empordà coast of north-east Catalonia, a warm corner where Syrah ripens fully under strong sun and the drying Tramuntana wind. The estate dates its winemaking to the fourteenth century, when Carmelite monks first built cellars here. The Mediterranean climate and coastal exposure give concentrated, ripe fruit, while the wind keeps the canopy healthy and limits disease without recourse to heavy treatment. Finca Garbet ages twenty-five months in French oak. The tighter grain of French barrels gives subtle cedar and spice rather than overt sweetness, and the long ageing lets oxygen soften the tannins and integrate the wood. The wine is deep and saturated, with aromas of ripe blackberry and dark cherry, black pepper, violet and the wild herbs of the Mediterranean scrub. The palate is full and warm at 14.5 percent, with ripe fruit, savoury depth and fine, firm tannin running through a long finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant for an hour. It suits grilled lamb, beef and game, and richer Mediterranean dishes built around herbs and olive oil.