2020 was a precocious vintage in terms of the growing cycle and phenology: early bud burst, early flowering, early fruit set and veraison. Spring was accompanied by twice the average rainfall. The beautiful side of 2020 was our total confinement to the vineyards where we got to know our parcels more intimately. Harvest started for us on the 8th of September and with the Valdelabarga site picked on the 14th of September – 2 weeks earlier than the average in the last 20 years. The wines are characterised by great energy and extremely forward fruit. A great antidote to the events of the year.

The grapes were harvested into 20kg stored between 0 and 1 degrees in a cool room with controlled humidity. Fermented in an open top fermenter with 15% of whole bunches included in a layer cake fashion. Gentle punching down was applied once or twice a day only during a long , slow, soft fermentation after the grapes warm up from their cold soak. Afterwards we carried out a long maceration, malolactic fermentation took place on skins . After pressing the wine remained in 5 x 500 litre Stockinger barrels for 12 months before bottling with minimal fining and filtration.

Valdelabarga is a glacial plain composed of boulders and cantos situated between la Sierra de Armantes and Virgen de la Sierra in the heart of the Sistema Ibérico in the municipality of Torralba de Ribota. According to local folklore, the parcel changed hands for the price of a bull – Venta del Bravo. The parcel dates from 1941 based on government records, but its mix of Garnacha Fina (approximately 85%) with a sprinkling of Provechon (Bobal), Macabeo and other minority varieties suggests an earlier planting date just after phylloxera ravaged Europe some 40 years before.

Regardless, Valdelabarga is an exceptional Lieu-dit with free draining soils with a capacity to always ripen and produce a Garnacha blend with ripe fruit and elegance.