Spain is arguably the king of Garnacha. Let’s compare 2 Garnachas from different regions in Spain.
Lifelong Learning of Wine
As a teacher by trade, we strive for our students to be lifelong learners more than learning any particular subject we might be teaching. The same goes for wine.
Although you might think you know everything there is to know about wine, there’s still so much to explore. There’s always a new variety, terroir, region/appellation, vintage, producer, style/winemaking technique, and any combo of these things to explore with different ages, glasses and other wine equipment, temperature, and food pairing in comparison to other wines that have their own combo of these variables. Plus, you can appreciate the historical and cultural aspects of wine. Hence, I never run out of topics for this blog.
Garnacha v. Garnacha
I’ve written about Garnacha (Grenache) more generally and Grenache from the Southern Rhone before and have just come back from and written about 2 other major regions that feature Garnacha: the Languedoc-Roussillon and Catalonia. However, Spain is the biggest producer of Garnacha and where this variety originates. Thus, there are still Spanish appellations that produce Garnacha that I haven’t looked at in this blog.
The most expensive and prestigious Spanish Garnacha comes from Priorat in Catalonia although there are also cheaper appellations with Garnacha in the region too. If Priorat and Catalonia are sort of like Spain’s version of Chateauneuf du Pape and Southern Rhone in France when it comes to Grenache, then Aragon is a lot like Spain’s version of France’s Languedoc-Roussillon. Aragon is the center of bargain but bold Garnacha. This is especially the case for the Campo de Borja DO, but there are other DOs within Aragon known for Garnacha like Calatayud and Cariñena too. Almost all of the Spanish Garnacha you find in your store will be from one of the above regions.
I cut my teeth drinking Spanish Garnacha from these regions when I first started getting into wine because they provide a lot of bang for your buck. At the same time, Garnacha is capable of complexity and nuance too.
The Madrid region is a perfect example of this. I have found their Garnacha to be lighter and fresher than Garnacha from Aragon. Some say it’s more of a Pinot Noir expression of Garnacha.
In other areas of Spain like Rioja, Navarra or Castilla y Leon, Garnacha is usually only used in small percentages with Tempranillo except for rosados, which can have Garnacha dominate the blend.
For this comparison, I found a Garnacha from Jumilla in Murcia, which is more known for Monastrell (Mourvedre). Garnacha is usually added to complement Monastrell there, but is not usually the main variety. I’m comparing it to a more typical Spanish Garnacha from Cariñena in Aragon.
Tasting Notes
2021 Marqués de Cáceres Garnacha Cariñena
Marqués de Cáceres is better known as a Rioja producer, but they have labels from other regions like Rueda, Rias Baixas, etc. This was surprisingly only 9 dollars in Chile although I’ve seen it at closer to $15 in the US. Despite the name, Cariñena’s main red grape is Garnacha and not Cariñena (Carignan). 30-40 year old vines in the Ebro Valley at 1,300 m elevation. Destemmed and vinified in stainless steel with only 3 months aging in oak. Medium intensity nose of ripe red and purple fruit along with floral and spicy herbal notes. The palate is fruity and juicy with a medium-light body and medium acid with soft tannins. However, there’s a touch of bitterness. Overall, an easy drinking, crowd-pleasing fruit driven wine. Typical bargain bang for your buck Garnacha from the region. 89
2020 Casa Castillo El Molar Jumilla
This costs around $20 most places. 35% whole cluster. Aged in large barrels and foudres for one year. 40,000 bottles made. Step up in the aromatics compared to Marques de Caceres Garnacha. Brighter, more red fruit and floral, savory spice, but just more intense overall. Lighter color though. Much more transparent. The palate feels lighter-bodied, more elegant and has a long acidic and salty and minerally back end after upfront dark and red fruit. There’s a touch of heat with the 15% alcohol which keeps me from rating it a bit higher but this is a step up in complexity and intensity overall vs. the Marques de Caceres. Murcia is known for hot, dry weather in comparison to the relatively cooler Cariñena, so it makes sense the wine is more intense, but they manage it well. This is one of my favorite producers in the region, so I’m not surprised. 93