£19.99, Marlo Wine
The old Garnacha vines that produce this fragrant, concentrated red date back to 1903 and come from up to 27 individual small plots of Garnacha that Elise and Enrique of Domaines Lupier bought parcel by parcel. From the 27 –certified organic and farmed biodynamically – they make just two red wines, El Terroir and La Dama. In the 2015 vintage, they made 26,315 bottles of El Terroir. It's not a lot.
All the vineyards are at altitudes of 400 to 750m and it’s this elevation, together with an Atlantic influence and limestone soils, that give the freshness and vibrancy to the wine’s dense black cherry fruit. Unite those elements with savoury black pepper, balsamic, stony and earthy oak flavours, then underpin them with gentle tannic grip and you’ve got a wine that keeps talking to you.
It has depth and intensity but not brawn, so although it looks as if designed for red meat it’s good with many plant-based recipes too. For the record, I enjoyed it with pigeon breasts, venison haunch steaks flavoured with juniper (the pan deglazed with port and a smidge of redcurrant jelly and crème fraiche), caramelised roast endives, spiced roast cauliflower and a quinoa and black bean dish. 14.5%. Empty bottle weight: 544g.
Domaines Lupier El Terroir Garnacha Old Vines 2015, Navarra, Spain
£19.99, Marlo Wine