Tres Ojos Garnacha Calatayud 2019

Tres Ojos Garnacha Calatayud is made from 100 percent 85% Old Vine Garnacha (40-50 year old vines) and 15% Tempranillo.

The wine has a brick red color with a bouquet of red raspberries, spice and white pepper. The palate is incredibly concentrated and rich. The modern styles of Garnacha in Spain are continuously being perceived worldwide as wines of extraordinarily good quality. This wine is fruity, juicy and shows a great depth, ripe tannins, length but yet with wonderful elegance and lightness.

The wine ferments for 7 days at 30ºC, followed by 14 days maceration on the skins. Aged 12 months in large stainless steel vats. Cold stabilized and lightly filtered before bottling

Enjoy with sausages, roasted meats, aged cheeses etc.

Tres Ojos Rosado Calatayud is fresh, crisp and juicy Rose made of 50% Garnacha and 50% Tempranillo displaying beautiful strawberry and raspberry fruits. Enjoy with salads, chicken or simply with a glass. Serve chilled.

Tres Ojos Rosado Calatayud is fresh, crisp and juicy Rose made of 50% Garnacha and 50% Tempranillo displaying beautiful strawberry and raspberry fruits. Enjoy with salads, chicken or simply with a glass. Serve chilled.

Es Lo Que Hay Garnacha is made from 95% Garnacha, 5% Moristel, Miguel de Arco and Provechón (Bobal). 75 to 100 year old vines. 

“ES LO QUE HAY -  it is what it is. A common Spanish expression, but one I like to reserve for the few old high altitude Garnacha vineyards that survive in Aragon . What you taste in the bottle is a true expression of what there is in the vineyard. It´s as simple as that.”

High altitude ancient vineyards (75-100 years) at 1,000 to 1,100 meters above sea level with Pizarra slate and quartzite soils. Completely dry grown and unirrigated, this is an inhospitable continental climate with extreme changes of temperature where mountain herbs, almonds, cherry trees and Garnacha form a breathtaking patchwork. Low annual rainfall of 200-300mm and the remarkable soils produce fine and elegant Garnacha which is punctuated by intense black fruit flavors with complex mineral, smoke and garrigue notes.

Review:

"The red 2019 Es Lo Que Hay is mostly old-vine Garnacha with 5% other grapes, mostly Moristel with a little Miguel de Arco and some Provechón (Bobal), from very stony old vineyards in the village of Villarroya de la Sierra. The grapes fermented together with 20% full clusters in concrete and were destemmed after a five-day cold soak with the natural yeasts; then the wine matured mostly in concrete with some leftovers in Flextank egg for 15 months. It's ripe without excess (14.26% real alcohol), balanced by low pH and good acidity and has a powerful Mediterranean profile, round and full-bodied, with hints of dry hay and straw and a touch of dark chocolate. The 2019s are evolving nicely and should have a positive development in bottle, and this is a good example. 8,270 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2020. - Luis Gutiérrez"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (November 2021), 93 pts

"The 2019 Garnacha Vinas Viejas is just about all Grenache (there are small amounts of Moristel, Miguel de Arco, and Bobal) from ancient vines that saw a touch of stems and aging in concrete tanks. This plump, medium to full-bodied, round, downright sexy beauty gives up lots of ripe red and black fruits as well as peppery spice, herbes de Provence, and sandalwood. It's balanced, has supple, incredibly polished tannins, no hard edges, and is just a beautiful Garnacha that has so much to love. It will keep for 5-7 years, if not longer."

- Jeb Dunnuck (August 2022), 93 pts

G.D. Vajra Bricco Delle Viole Barolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo. 

The Barolo Bricco delle Viole shows the signature verticality of its vineyard. The wine is beautifully layered and - while restrained as it’s always the case in the youth of Bricco delle Viole - it also shows a complexity of layers with purple flowers, sweet spices and mineral tones. The palate is noble, with a refined acid spine and profound tannins that promise a long aging potential.

Among the historical vineyards of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is the highest and the closest to the Alps. It rises from 400 to 480 meters above sea level, on the Western ridge of the village. Its name, “Hill of Violets”, originates from the flowers that blossom early here due to the perfect south exposure. Up above the fogs, Bricco delle Viole enjoys the earliest sunrise and the last sunset every day. Thanks to its vines dating back to 1949 and -now- 1931, a dramatic diuturnal temperature range and this pure light, Bricco delle Viole generates a sophisticated and profound Barolo DOCG of bright aromatics, chiseled tannins and subtle minerality. 2018 is a vintage that shows many nuances of Bricco delle Viole: beyond the signature verticality of this site, the wine offers high tones laced with mineral nuances and plenty of energy and youth.

 Review:

A juicy Barolo, with vibrant acidity and a fluid profile that exudes cherry, raspberry, mown hay, mineral and eucalyptus aromas and flavors. Tight yet long, with excellent potential.

#26 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023

The last wine poured at my tasting at the winery is the G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole. With its high vantage point in the hills west of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is a world apart in terms of soils (with Sant'Agata marl and fossils) and even harvest times. Slow and careful ripening like the kind that characterizes fruit in 2019 renders a very delicate and ethereal expression with floral tones, wild mint and licorice. This organic wine is solid in build and structure. Indeed, Isidoro Vaira remarks that Nebbiolo tannins have changed since the 1970s and 1980s. 

-Wine Advocate 97+ Points

 Jeweled in appearance, the 2019 Barolo Bricco Delle Viole may be the best wine I have tried yet from Vajra. Its gorgeous and alluring perfume of fresh roses is followed by a Burgundian, elegant red with incredible length and no harsh edges, fine and present tannins, and beautiful, graceful concentration. It is drinking well now, and I will be trying to get my hands on as much of this as possible. Drink 2025-2045.

-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points

Xavier Vignon Lirac Rouge is made from 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah.

Ripe fruit, ranging from raspberries and cherries to hints of stone fruit. Yet, it's not over the top or simply fruity. This full-bodied wine adds hints of leather, garrigue and licorice along the way, evolving from creamy to velvety on the palate and through the lasting finish.

Pairs with lamb Tagine with dry fruits - Duck breast fillet with green pepper sauce - BBQ Prime rib of beef.

Review:

"An 80-20 blend of Grenache and Syrah, Vignon's 2019 Lirac is drawn from multiple parcels with galets roulés over clay soils. Roughly one-third went into oak, while the rest stayed in tank. It may be the most complex of the various Vignon "Signature" offerings, marrying hints of garrigue and licorice with mixed berries and hints of oak. It's medium to full-bodied, silky and forward, with the same lip-smacking drinkability factor that marks all of Vignon's wines on the finish. - Joe Czerwinski"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (September 2020) 92 pts