This week, we’ve found a wine that we really love, folks! It’s so unique, a small batch production and it’s very well priced for what it delivers in the glass….and of course, it’s also delicious!

Keep reading on to learn what you need to know about this wine.

2018 Mas Que Vinos Garnacha de la Madre

This week, we are venturing to Spain, not too far from the area that surrounds the capital city of Madrid. This wine is from a single vineyard located in the cool El Horcajo valley.

What does this wine cost?

$19.95

What grape variety(ies) are in this wine?

While the label may fool you into thinking this wine is made from/based primarily on the Grenache grape, there is actually no Grenache in the bottle at all!

This wine is actually made from the Alicante Bouschet variety, which locally is referred to as “Garnacha Tintorera” (hence the label!). Alicante Bouschet is not an uncommon variety per se, but is more commonly seen in Portugal as a varietal bottling than in Spain. It’s a pretty cool grape in general - the worldwide plantings of this variety are quite small for one and it is also one of just a handful of grapes that have red/blush flesh and instead of white insides. Such grapes are known as “teinturier” grapes in the wine world and they are somewhat of a fun novelty!

Where does this wine come from?

This wine comes from the generally arid Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain. This area is on a high plateau in the centre of Spain and has a continental climate, where the summers are very, very hot (and can be very dry) and winters can get quite cold.

Why is this wine unique?

This is a “Vino de la Tierra” which is one step below the “Denominación de Origen (DO)” in Spain’s Denominación de Origen wine quality control and appellation system. At the “Vino de la Tierra” level, wines are from a defined area that is usually aligned to a large autonomous region and are made under a less prescriptive regime of requirements, which can allow for some interesting and compelling results at pretty good price points.

Who makes this wine?

This wine is produced by Bodegas Más Que Vinos, located in Toledo Spain. Their vineyards are farmed organically, manually and without irrigation (i.e. dry farmed). The main family farm is divided into several plots, each named separately. The soils are calcareous, with some clay and gypsum.

A few Wine Geek “essential facts” about the wine (feel free to skip this if you don’t care about detailed wine-making information!):

Grape Variety - 100% Alicante Bouschet

Viticulture - certified organic

Soils - Calcareous, with some clay and gysum

Fermentation - Temperature controlled, stainless steel using indigenous yeasts

Malolactic - in cement amphorae

Maceration - short maceration (colour comes more from the teinturier grape quality)

Maturation - 12 months in cement amphorae

ABV - 14%

Residual Sugar - 3 g/L

Wineitupanotch tasting notes:

A bold ruby in colour, this wine displays notes of hibiscus, red berries, black cherries, white pepper, dark earth and some smoked meat.

The palate is fresh but also dense and accompanied by solid structural elements creating a good frame of acidity and tannins and a medium plus finish.

This is a wine that will intrigue wine lovers. It is hard to place and equally hard to forget. Some may say that it is a standout wine in a world that is awash in lots of wines, in a different class from the regular options.

Aging potential:

This wine will age and continue to improve over the next 3-5 years.

Recommendations to Wineitupanotch:

Pair this wine with food! We would suggest chicken skewers off the grill, chinese stir-fried rice, chorizo and manchego cheese and/or a hearty bean and sweet potato chili. Yum!

Wineitupanotch Wine Score: 93 points

This wine gets a high score for its cool and unique factor. It’s well made at an excellent price point and tastes really good too.

FINAL VERDICT:

Get a few bottles for your wine geek friends - they should find something to talk about with this one…while you all sit back and enjoy your glass of delicious wine!

If you’ve tried this wine already, or decide to pick it up and try it after reading this post, we’d love to hear from you and hear what you think of it! Please do drop us a line.

Until next time, wishing you love, light and of course - good wine!……

Cheers…..XOXO