Located in Basque in the northeastern part of Spain, the Navarra wine region covers almost the entire south end of the country. Situated on the lowest slopes of the Pyrenees Mountains, the vineyards descend all the way to the base of the River Ebro. The Navarra region includes Valdizarbe, Tierra Estella, Ribera Alta, Baja Montaña, and Ribera Baja, which are all sub-regions. 95% of the grapes planted in Navarra are grown for red wine production.
Dating back to the second century BC, wine production began in Navarra with the ancient Romans building the wineries. Excavations have recently uncovered winerfy equipment in Lumier, Muruzabal de Andion, Falces, and Arellano. It was during the middle ages that the region has strong ties with France and a very prosperous viticulture. Wine was exported abroad from Navarra as early as the 12th century. After phylloxera destroyed the vineyards in 1892, they were replanted at the beginning of the 20th century by grafting onto new rootstock.
Navarra has a continental climate with long, dry, and hot summers, and cold winters, and is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. The average rainfall averages about 25” annually. Navarra is mostly made up of limestone and chalk soils in the north, with stony grey soils in the south.
Finca La Pared Cuvee Especial is made from Graciano & Syrah.
The Cuvee Especial is a Graciano and Syrah blend aged in oak barrels that produces a full-bodied, fresh wine of great complexity and long lasting finish.
Review:
"A deep, brooding nose with lots of fine oak spices and hazelnuts that adorn the blackberries and violets. Succulent and bright on the palate, with caressing, silky tannins dialing into the black and blue fruit. Quite long and subtle. Delicious now, but can hold, too."
- James Suckling (June 2022), 94 pts
Finca La Pared Graciano is made from 100 percent Graciano.
Finca La Pared Graciano is a powerful graciano that is perfectly integrated with the oak. It shows remarkable notes of fresh spices and dark fruit. Reserved, serene, deep black. Restrained feel.
Review:
"The creamy, cedary oak has seeped into the minty blackberry and blue fruit, with deep notes of cocoa powder and tar. Restrainedly plush and flavorful, with a concentrated and full-bodied palate. Dense and silky with a little warmth in the finish. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (June 2022), 93 pts
Finca La Pared Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah.
Finca La Pared Syrah shows an expressive nose of dark fruit aromas and a mineral character.
Intense, direct, playful. Balance of forces.
Review:
The first vintage here was 2018. The 2019 Syrah is a saturated purple hue with a smoking good bouquet of smoky black fruits, cured meats, and leather, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a plush, layered mouthfeel, and ripe tannins. It's balanced, has a deep, rich, concentrated style, and a great finish.
-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
Finca La Pared Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah.
Finca La Pared Syrah shows an expressive nose of dark fruit aromas and a mineral character.
Intense, direct, playful. Balance of forces.
Machine harvested at night. Grapes with great concentration. Prefermentation cold maceration (cold soak) for three days. Fermentation and maceration are carried out in small stainless steel tanks, combining pumpovers and délestages The process is prolonged for approximately 20 days with gentle extractions. We gently press the grapes and the wine carries out its malolactic fermentation in even smaller stainless steel tanks. When the wine has naturally lost the thickest suspended solids, we transfer it to oak barrels. We chose American oak barrels that enhance the freshness of the wine and its refinement. The wine is aged for 12 months in the same barrels without racking. It isbottled after light filtration without fining.
Review:
"Blackberries, ground pepper, violets, and some gamey, bouquet garni-like notes all emerge from the 2021 Syrah, a medium to full-bodied, deep, rich, wonderfully layered Syrah that seems to be a hypothetical blend of a California Syrah with an Hermitage. Drink bottles through 2031."
- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 95 pts
Clif Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap is made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.
Our Stags Leap District and Calistoga estate vineyards build the foundation of this wine with support from valued grower sites located in Oakville, Rutherford, and Howell Mountain. Composed of small batches from a variety of blocks of varying age, this wine represents a diverse range of carefully selected rootstocks and clones. Yields are maintained at sparse levels, with a focus on canopy management and vine balance. The resulting blend boasts a remarkable depth and complexity that is quintessential Napa Valley.
Grapes were picked in the darkness of the early morning hours. The freshly-harvested fruit immediately underwent rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, which included our cutting-edge optical sorter. Whole berries were gently delivered by gravity to tank using our crane system, minimizing disruption of berry integrity. Cold soaks lasted approximately seven days, and fermentations were managed via a combination of délestage, pumpovers, and punchdowns. Extended maceration ranging from four to five weeks fine-tuned our tannin profiles, allowing us to perfect mouth feel and wine complexity. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 48% of which were new, for twenty-one months.
Elegantly soft and lithe the 2021 coaxes the taster with warm dark chocolate and luscious black cherry aromas. More graphite, chocolate cake, crushed mulberries, and iron notes leap from the glass. The entry is filled with dark fruit flavors of cassis, blackberry, and blue berries and they’re all tinged with floral notes of jasmine and violets. The polished tannins along the finish feel Cashmere-like and beg the taster for another sip. – Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking
Review:
So silky and drinkable at the first sip, this well-concentrated wine feels tight and restrained with more tastes, holding its trove of black fruits, cedar, cinnamon and dark chocolate in a rich blanket of extra-fine tannins. Its complexity, layering and lingering finish are something special.
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Pago de los Capellanes Tinto Joven is made from 100% Tempranillo.
Joven Roble is for everyone and for every moment. Fresh and vibrant, while at the same time complete and full of energy. A clear, affable, open and solid character. We take its production very seriously to obtain a blissfully satisfying wine with every vintage.