El Chaparral Vega Sindoa 2008

91 Points - [Refers to 2007 vintage] - "Bright ruby. Extremely rich nose displays black raspberry, plum and flowers. Juicy dark berry flavors are liqueur-like in depth and power but given lift by zesty minerality. Finishes with expansive red and dark berry flavors and excellent persistence." -Josh Raynolds, Steven Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, September 2008.

COMPOSITION: 100% Old-Vine Garnacha

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
This is a wine made from old vines between 60 to more than 100 years old from 40 parcels on the hills that surround the town of Añorbe and are full of Chaparro trees (a type of Spanish oak tree). The purpose of this project is to recover vines and small plots that were abandoned by the old winegrowers because of their low yields. They are also the closest Garnacha vineyards in Spain to the Atlantic Ocean.

In the valley of Valdizarbe Valley, eight families own this winery. It is in the foothills of the Pyrenees a little southwest of Pamplona. They own the northernmost vineyard in Navarre, and actually the most northern vineyard in Spain with the exception of the Txakoli D.O.

For hundreds of years the Valley of Valdizarbe has been considered one of the best areas of wine production in Navarra. They have been cultivating vineyards for centuries. Documents from 15th century (the time of Ferdinand and Isabella) have been found in Añorbe describing wine production in the area. Viticulture almost disappeared due to the depressed prices of the grapes, and the extreme weather conditions.

This bodega is one of the first ones to bring back the vineyards to the valley, by the hands of an energetic winemaker, Concha Vecino, and an innovative vineyard manager, Jose Manuel Urricelqui. The winery is a state-of-the-art facility, incorporating the latest technology available in winemaking. All the wines are stainless steel fermented, except for the barrel-fermented Chardonnay.