BODEGAS ARRAYAN Garnacha de Arrayan
CSPC + 789104
Vintage: 2016
Case: 6x750ml
Region: Mentrida, Spain
Varietal: 100% Garnacha, Old Vines
Alcohol: 15%
CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Tasting Notes
This medium-extract wine is a vivid cherry red in colour. Floral aromas with notes of fennel and orange peel. Long, structured silky mouth. Strongly mineral aftertaste. Overall, it is an elegant Garnacha, typical of the slate hills of Cebreros.
Garnacha /gar NAH cha/
a.k.a. Grenache (France, US, Australia) a.k.a. Cannonau (Sardinia)
In Spain, Garnacha is the second most-planted red-wine grape variety, surpassed only by its modern blending partner Tempranillo. It is grown in almost every area of Spain, but most notably in the north and east – it is the key constituent in the prestigious wines of Priorat. In France, Grenache is most widely planted in the southern Rhone Valley and throughout both Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon. It is most commonly found alongside Syrah and Mourvedre in the classic Southern Rhone Blend, and is the main grape variety in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
91 Points
“This really vibrant garnacha shows off its bouquet of blueberries, raspberries, citrus and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied and precise on the palate, which is tangy and quite firm on the finish. Juicy and delicious. Drink now.”
91 Points
“It has the darker and more expansive character of the slate soils, which is really noticeable when tasted next to the other Garnacha that comes from granite. This has depth and feels earthier. It also has an earthier texture that is grainy and seems to call for powerful food. 6,030 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2018.”
DO Mentrida, Spain
Praise For Arrayan from Decanter Magazine:
"Arrayan’s success is symbolic of the renewed energy and enthusiasm in some of Spain’s forgotten regions – in this case Méntrida. The approach may be modern, but it is based on the old vines and history of Garnacha in the region. The vineyard is on poor sandy soils at 700m – just the kind of higher-altitude site sought to prevent the resulting wine from toppling over into blowsiness. The project was launched in 1988 with the help of two top names: the Australian viticultural expert Richard Smart, who has worked across the Iberian peninsula, and in the winery the enthusiastic and insightful Miguel Angel de Gregorio of Rioja’s Finca Allende."
Winemaking Notes from Wine Advocate:
The 2016 Garnacha de Arrayán was produced with grapes from a single vineyard planted in 1950 at 960 meters in altitude in the zone of Los Galayos in Cebreros (Ávila). The soils have a laminar, slate-like texture and produce powerful wines. It fermented with 40% stems in a 4,300-liter oak vat with indigenous yeasts where the wine later matured for a period of 16 months.
Region & Vineyard Notes
Méntrida is a Spanish Denominacion de Origen (DO) in the province of Toledo, Spain, near Madrid. The continental-Mediterranean climate is characterised by extreme temperature variations, from harsh winters to hot summers. The soil is alluvial, from the erosion of the granite massifs in Spain's central plateau, and is basically sandy loam in the gullies, with an acid pH and a high silicate content. No chemical herbicides or fertilisers are used; manure is applied as a soil improver.