You Had Me at Garnacha

Fast facts:

• 2018 Esteban Martin Garnacha-Syrah Cariñena, Spain ($10.99 @ Costco, California – Item # 512107)

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 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 wines. To put Spain’s yields into perspective, they are roughly one-third that New World vintners strive for.  That is partly why we are such big fans of the high QPR wines of Spain and wineries like the one we are featuring this week.

From the wineries website, the English version: “The vineyards of Esteban Martin are located in the Ebro Valley, in the foothills of the Iberian System mountain range.  They are part of the Cariñena Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) region, whose wines have been branded as Vino de las Piedras, ‘Wine of Stones’, a name coined to highlight the area’s stony terrain. The climate of the region is typified by great extremes, with very hot summers and freezing winters, and the prevailing northerly wind, known locally as ‘cierzo’, which keeps our vines in good health. Little rain falls and temperature fluctuations are usually intense, endowing our wines with great personality and character.”

Tasting Notes:

The 2018 Esteban Martin Garnacha-Syrah  (85/15%). Medium purple coloring. Red fruit and oak on the nose. Raspberry, cherry, and a little strawberry. Smooth tannins, easy drinking.The wine has a dark ruby color with a nose of blackberry and spice. The palate is red and dark fruit, tinted with a bit of spice. The wine thins a bit on the finish, which suggests that this young wine can profit from aerating, allowing 30 or so minutes in the glass. The wine received a 92 rating from James Suckling, impressive for a wine that sells for just over $10. This a very food friendly wine and would pair well with hearty Italian and vegetarian fare, grilled meats and hard cheeses.

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.

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Cheers!