2009 Camino de Navaherreros Garnacha Vinos de Madrid

Produced from old vine garnacha located about an hour and a half drive west of Madrid, more than 2,500 feet in elevation, this wine shows an aromatic complexity, flavor intensity and texture that separates it from 99.9% of the plentiful Grenache based wines which we taste here every year. The first thing you notice in the glass is the beautiful, translucent, ruby color - always a good sign. Red fruits abound on the nose, leading to an incredibly bright, crunchy, delicious palate full of raspberry, tangy cherry and hibiscus. Tannins are fine knit and speak of grapes, not oak. As elegant an example of Grenache as you are likely to find, think of this more as a traditional cotes du Rhone or even a cru Beaujolais. With a tiny 930 case production, this is no large scaled co-op effort, but rather a terrific bottling from a smaller winery opting for quality over quantity. Yields are small (35 hl/hectare), fermentation and ageing take place in large wooden vats, organic viticulture is practiced, and this is very much a two person, family operation of the Bulnes family. Raul Perez, arguably Spain's best winemaker right now, helps to make the wine. This is a wine that you need to try, a real stunner.