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Precision Old-vine Spanish Garnacha

Domaines Lupier “El Terroir” (Navarra 2009)
Price: $49/bottle – SOLD OUT

Although Domaines Lupier is a relatively new winery they’ve been garnering international accolades from their first release. The wines are already considered some of the top varietal wines in the world and reveal an allegiance to the values of balance, measured reserve, natural process, and sense of place.

When husband and wife team Enrique Basarte and Elisa Úcar began searching Spain for old-vine Garnacha vineyards they realized what they were looking for was a mere 40 minutes from their home in Pamplona. They settled in to the small village of San Martin de Unx and identified 27 separate plots, with vines ranging from 68 years old to over 100 years old (the oldest vineyard planted in 1903). This is the northern region of Navarra, more specifically, the cool and mountainous sub-zone of Baja Montaña, where wines can show harmony of ripeness and freshness with all the precision of an oceanic climate.

These folks aren’t just lucky beginners. Enrique has over fifteen years experience in vineyards all over Spain and an academic background in agronomic engineering and oenology, while Elisa has more than 12 years experience in the wine sector. From the outset the two decided take the biodynamic approach to viticulture to improve and maintain the health of the vines using natural and sustainable practices. With the ultimate goal of expressing the terroir of Navarra through wines of superb balance.

That goal was undeniably achieved with the 2009 vintage of El Terroir. It is a deeply colored wine with a crystal clear purity of fruit rarely found in Garnacha-based wines. Aromatically complex with layers of floral, berry, and spice, a sip is anything but jammy and practically begs another in short measure. Spain’s most comprehensive wine guide, Guía Peñin, agrees. They awarded 2009 El Terroir 94 points.

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Posted on 2015.04.16 in Saturday Sips Wines, Spain DO, Navarra

 

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