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Wine of the Week

Developing Garnacha

This is Daniel Jiménez-Landi’s Piélago in the 2010 version, that I had tonight in the Los Patios de Beatas restaurant in Málaga. The wine is now offered in the 2014 vintage, so this is a prime example of how it will age medium term.

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The wine comes from the DO Méntrida in the Toledo province of Castilla-La Mancha. It is a 100% garnacha from 7 parcels of 40-70 year old vines at 700-850 meters in El Real de San Vicente, to be more precise. The must from the different vineyards are treated separately in small vats of French oak and open 500L vats. The grapes come partly with stalks (between 30-100% depending of vineyard). The extraction is soft, only foot-trodden, for 10-30 days. Alcoholic and malo-lactic fermentation has been in barrel, and it stayed in big barrels (500-1.500L) for around a year.

Piélago 2010 (Jiménez-Landi)

Deep cherry red, showing some development near the rim. Mature forest fruits, floral, herbs, some coffee, needs some time in the glass. Potent, astringent in the mouth, with marked tannins that are still to evolve. It has the typical garnacha roundness, a nice acidity, and a long aftertaste. If it’s marked by the wood it’s no sweetness, but dry tannins and some toast. On the way up, to be saved for still another 4-5 years.

Food: Because of the tannin structure it called for the lamb, but it could well tackle other meat, with rich sauces too

 

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