What makes this wine unique?

The only single varietal Garnacha Peluda wine made in Spain. Rated Best Red Wine in Catalonia out of 3000 tasted blind. Made from old vines that were planted in 1940. Organic viticulture and dry farming (no irrigation). This wine exhibits intense minerality and comes from one of the most interesting vineyards in Spain.

Rating history:

Grape:

100% Garnacha Peluda. The head pruned vines were planted in 1940 and they're tended organically. The grapes are Certified Organic by CCPAE (Consell Català de la Producció Agrària Ecològica).

Pairing Suggestions:

This remarkable wine’s character of red currants and berries is juicy but not sweet and the profound depth of aromas is extremely earthy and mineral. The wine’s character is pure and expansive on the nose and in the mouth. Pair this great big red wine with clean, big flavors like grilled grass-fed beef steaks, grilled lamb skewers or shabu shabu, the extremely lean Japanese boiled beef.

Vinification and ageing:

The grapes are harvested in small 15 kg boxes. Each terrace plot (bancal) is fermented separately in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation also takes place in stainless steel tank. The wine is aged for 14 months in 300-liter French oak barrels. Overall, the focus with winemaking is to retain freshness, purity and the integrity of the terroir.

Production:

375 cases are made.

Location, Soil, Climate:

The vineyards are located in the Capçanes district of Montsant (zone 5) at 550 meters elevation (1,800 ft.), the most distinctive factor of Vinyes Domènech. In this unique place, the mountains that surround the vineyards create a vacuum of wind from the Mediterranean, making this “corner” a cooler, dryer environment than neighboring vineyards within Montsant. In addition to the windy condition, the altitude contributes to a remarkable contrast of day/night temperatures. This allows the grapes to ripen at a slower pace, giving them greater aromatic purity. The soils are composed of clay, volcanic slate, limestone and Pinyolet stones, responsible for the mineral flavors of these wines. The subsoil is all limestone. The clay contributes power and volume while the limestone gives the wine expressive floral and fruit aromas, finesse and complexity. The area’s climate is High Mediterranean, markedly cooler than the Priorat region, situated at a lower elevation. The rainfall in this area is low (442 mm, or 17 inches, per year). The area’s climate during the active period of the vine from April-October is moderate (68°F).

Tasting notes:

The harvest began on Sept 4th. There was a total of 14 inches of rainfall during the year. Once again, I’m perplexed by the purity and intensity of flavor in this wine. Graphite, black cherries and bacon. Teixar enters your palate in a subdued fashion and it expands with pure flavors until tannins begin to melt, showcasing the essence of blueberries on the finish.
(Notes by Patrick Mata)

Alcohol Content:

14.5%

UPC Code:

810411014127