The nose offers intense aromas of spiced wood and dark fruits--plum, blackberry, and currant, by no means overripe. In the mouth, the fruit is nicely balanced by structuring elements, both fine tannins and, to a lesser extent, acidity. The flavors are well integrated and just keep getting more generous and interesting with air. The wine provides complex fruits and food oriented tannins. It is medium-plus in both body and length.

WINE INFORMATION

In the late 1960s Juan was working in Madrid, but yearned to return to the countryside of Navarra, where his forebears were wine growers, bread bakers, and cheese makers. He could have done what many in the region do--make a Rosado from Garnacha, the main local grape, and lived comfortably enough. Instead, he took a quick hop over the Pyrenees to visit his favorite wine region, Bordeaux. While there, he developed a close friendship with one of the most famous viticulturalists, who supplied grapes to famous chateaux on both Right Bank (Merlot dominated) and Left Bank (Cabernet Sauvignon dominated). After he returned to Navarra, he began experimenting with these two grapes. Today, 80% of his sixty-hectare property of vines are devoted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. He is unusual in another way as well: he holds back significant quantities of mature wines in both tank and bottle after barrel aging and only bottles and releases certain Reservas and Gran Reservas when he considers them perfectly ready for consumption. He is now in his sixth decade of winemaking and collaborates with his son Diego, a hotshot in Bierzo and Rioja Alavesa. Juan has also embraced Navarra’s specialty, Garnacha, grafting more vines each year to old rootstocks.

Grapes for this wine come from vines averaging 33 years planted on mineral-rich soils low in organic matter. The fruit is destemmed, goes through a two- to five-day cold maceration, and is fermented by variety at 26-28°C for about 19 days using native yeasts. The wine ages tow years in used French oak.

Charcuterie, Cheese, Grilled preparations, Hearty stew, Lamb, Mushrooms, Pork, Red Meat, Roasted Root Vegetables, Sausage, Slow-smoked Barbeque/BBQ Sauce, Spicy Food, Tapas, Tomato Sauce, Wild Game