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Cañada Negra

Cañada Negra

Cañada Negra is a wine made by Bodegas Enguera in the DO region of Valencia. Bodegas Enguera was founded in 1999 by Pedro Perez Pardo in Valencia, an inland region about a five-hour drive southwest of Barcelona. Like Utiel-Requena just to the west, and Alicante, Yecla and Jumilla an hour-plus drive to the south, Valencia is an area with great wine growing potential that has been rediscovered by Spain’s most gifted young winemakers. Diego Fernandez Pons is one such enologist and he teaches viticulture, as well. Diego is the winemaker at Bodega Enguera and at five other wineries, including Bodegas Manuel de la Osa, named for the well-known Spanish chef who owns Las Rejas Restaurante, which has earned a Michelin star. Bodegas Enguera currently owns 180 hectares (445 acres) of vines, primarily Monastrell, Tempranillo and Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Small quantities of white grapes are also grown.

What makes this wine unique?

This wine is produced from estate-owned grapes, tended in Valencia’s cool Fontanares Valley. The grapes are organically grown. In these conditions, Tempranillo blended with Syrah is an extremely good blend. An impressive Mediterranean-character wine that has the complexity of a high-end wine!

Grape:

60% Tempranillo and 40% Syrah. The grapes are organically grown.

Pairing Suggestions:

This ripe, expressive and juicy wine will pair with a wide range of casual foods with a similarly spicy character. Grilled sweet or savory sausage made of beef; pork or veal is a good match, as is brick oven pizza with prosciutto or black forest ham and fresh basil. Beef or pork empanadas and Jamaican beef or chicken patties are good pairings, as well.

Vinification and ageing:

The wine undergoes a cool pre-fermentation maceration for 4 days to enhance the wine’s fresh aromas and color prior to fermentation at cool temperature. The wine is aged in oak barrels for 4 months, 70% Hungarian and 30% French. Hungarian oak is often used in Mediterranean climates for its ability to promote the fruit flavors of wines with lower acidity.

Production:

5,400 cases are made; 3,300 for the U.S.

Location, Soil, Climate:

The vineyards are located in the town of Enguera (Zone 8), in the southern subzone of the Valencia DO, which is thirty-five miles inland, south and west of the Mediterranean city of Valencia. The vineyards are situated at 621 meters (2,037 ft.) elevation. The soils are sandy with limestone just below the surface. Sandy soil has very good heat retention, which allows for continued ripening during the cooler nights, and it sheds water rapidly, which minimizes surface moisture. The limestone subsoil acts as a reservoir, providing water to the vine’s root systems as needed, particularly during periods of drought. For climate, the mean temperature from April-October is 60.8°F, low for a Mediterranean climate. Rainfall during the growing season is 9.8 inches, while yearly rainfall is 23 inches. Cooler than one would expect for a Mediterranean climate, these temperatures have a positive effect on the vines and act to extend the growing season. Here, the harvest typically takes place the second week of October. A major component of this wine is the cool climate, which bestows vibrancy, generous aromas; freshness and color, all of which combine to give the fruit clear expression.

Tasting notes:

Canada Negra displays a deep crimson-color, it offers up a nose of damp earth, spice box, incense, game, and black fruits. Structured, ripe, and savory on the palate.

Alcohol Content:

111

UPC Code:

8437004217554