Vinyes D’Olivardots Gresa Expressió Gresa 2019

Vinyes d'Olivardots farms four hectares around Capmany in the D.O. Empordà, the windswept northeast corner of Catalonia where the Tramuntana wind dries the vineyard and keeps disease pressure low, allowing a gentle approach in the field. The estate works with gravity-fed cellar design alongside traditional methods. Gresa Expressió blends Cariñena and Garnacha, the regional backbone, with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon for colour, pepper and grip, grown on the granitic and slate-influenced soils that lend the wines their stony savoury character. The Mediterranean climate ripens the fruit fully while coastal proximity holds the acidity in line. The wine ages 18 months in French oak, where measured oxygen exchange softens the Cabernet and Syrah tannin and knits the four varieties into a single frame, adding cedar and sweet spice without masking the fruit. The colour is deep ruby. The nose carries dark plum and red berries over dried Mediterranean herbs, black pepper and a touch of liquorice. The palate is full and structured, with firm but ripe tannin and a long, earthy finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanting ahead, with grilled meat or mushroom dishes.