Have Your Passports Ready, We are Boarding for Spain

Fast facts:

• 2021 Esteban Martin Garnacha-Syrah Cariñena, Spain ($10.99 @ Costco, California – Item # 512107)

We have reviewed this wine once before, and it is interesting that they have changed up the blend to emphasize Syrah.  Where it was just 15% of the cuvee in 2018, the 2021 rendition has upped it to near equal billing at 40%. We think that is a good thing.  Garnacha can be a bit to jammy to my taste, and the extra Syrah adds some nice heft and ripe red fruit flavors.  This is a really nice mid-weight high QPR red.  We liked it before, and we like it better now. James Suckling is holding steady at 92 points, although I have it pegged more as an 87/88 – all for a mere $10.99.  Good stuff!

Here is an interesting fact about Spain and its wine. The country has the most “land under vine” in the world.  Yet it is only the third largest producer, after France and Italy. How is this possible? In a word: yields. Spain’s arid climate simply produces less wine per acre (or more precisely, hectare) than their European neighbors. This is a good thing for wine drinkers.  It may be counter intuitive, but as a general rule, low yields result in more flavorful and concentrated wines. To put Spain’s yields into perspective, they are roughly one-third what New World vintners strive for.  That is partly why we are such big fans of the high QPR wines of Spain and wineries like this one that put the WoW in our Wine of the Week.

The country’s regional diversity is similar to France, its European neighbor to the north. Like other neighboring countries, Spain and its wine industry significantly benefitted from its entry into the EU.  This wine could be called is a poster child for the modernization that has transformed its wine industry and enabled it to compete more vigorously on the world stage.

The climate of the Cariñena region is typified by great extremes, with very hot summers and freezing winters, and the prevailing northerly wind, known locally as ‘cierzo’, keeps vines ventilated and in good health. Little rain falls and temperature fluctuations are usually intense, endowing wines with great personality, concentration and character. Cariñena is part of the Aragon region in north-east Spain. 

Tasting Notes:

Pours a transparent deep ruby color, suggesting medium weight. Black cherry, dried sage and black pepper on the nose.  In the mouth the tannins are tame and well-balanced, with flavors of berries, anise and gingerbread spices. Another reviewer claimed to detect cranberry notes on the finish and I was skeptical, but I retasted and – by golly – they were spot on. (Or the power of suggestion was at work.) This a very food friendly wine and would pair well with hearty Italian and vegetarian fare, grilled meats and hard cheeses. A cheeseburger would be a divine pairing. ABV = 13.5%.

 

Need More Wine Picks from Costco – or Trader Joe’s Even?

If your wine shopping excursions land you in Costco, prepare by grazing our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list.

And if your shopping finds you at Trader Joe’s, you can find our Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine here.

Happy hunting.

Cheers!