Evodia Garnacha Bodegas San Alejandro 2019
An elegant expression of Garnacha with effortless notes of raspberry, sweet and sour cherry laced with distinctive minerality. Smooth with a savoury note on the palate, this is full of finesse.
Bodegas San Alejandro is a leading Garnacha specialist based in the heart of the Calatayud appellation in Aragon, northern Spain. The cooperative was founded in 1962 and today it has 150 growers, with 1,200 plots covering 950 hectares of vineyard. Garnacha has adapted to suit the extreme natural conditions of the area; the vineyards are situated at elevations of up to 1,100 metres, with contrasting hot days and cool nights. The elevation provides good air circulation, promoting vineyard health which has enabled the vines to be traditionally cultivated in a very natural way and with limited use of treatments. From 2019, Bodegas San Alejandro is converting to organic status, a process which will take approximately four years.
The grapes come from old Garnacha vines, with an average yield of 4,000 kilograms per hectare. The soils are varied; calcareous, clay and shale with each terroir imparting subtle complexity to the wine. The vines are grown at high altitude, ranging from 800 to 1,000 metres elevation. The extreme climate of hot days and cool evenings promotes a long, ripening period concentrating the flavours and aromatic complexity of the grapes. The vineyards are farmed with respect for the environment; the soils are ploughed, canopy management takes place by hand, with laterals being removed manually. Limited sulphur treatments are used and the grapes are manually harvested.