The Grenache grape, called Garnacha in Spain, is one of the world’s mostly widely planted varieties. It thrives in hot, dry climates, and is typically associated with inky, plush red wines with soft tannins and often ample alcohol. But there are some instances—and they usually involve old vines and slightly milder climates—when Grenache becomes beguilingly finessed, almost Pinot Noir-like in character. You see it in some of the greatest Grenache-driven wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape; in Australia’s Barossa Valley; and in several appellations across Northern Spain, including the Sierra de Gredos west of Madrid and, in this case, the Navarra DO, Rioja’s eastern neighbor. “Malayeto” is a single-vineyard Garnacha with lifted aromas and a plush, velvety texture—it’s not a lightweight wine by any stretch, but by Garnacha standards, it’s a study in finesse!

Look at a wine map and you can see how Navarra is essentially an extension of Rioja, with vineyards that stretch north and east toward the Pyrenees Mountains. “Malayeto” is the name of a choice vineyard site situated at more than 500 meters of elevation, in rocky soils of clay, sand, and limestone. Navarra is considered a “continental” climate, with cold winters, hot/dry summers and wide day-night temperature swings during a growing season that is one of the longest in the world. 

Viña Zorzal was founded in 1989 by Antonio Sanz, whose work has been continued by his sons, Iñaki (operations), Xabier (marketing), and Mikel (viticulture). They produce wines in both Rioja and Navarra, with a keen focus on the native varieties of those regions: Graciano and Garnacha are among their specialties, sourced from high-elevation vineyards located at the edge of the Ebro River Valley and the start of the Iberian Mountains. Their first vintage of the single-parcel “Malayeto” was 2013.

The 2.5-hectare Malayeto site contains vines averaging 40 years of age, producing small quantities of perfectly mature grapes. Alcoholic fermentation was carried out in a mix of stainless steel tanks and concrete vats, after which the wine underwent malolactic fermentation and nine months of aging in assorted used oak casks (500-liter barrels and 4,500-liter wooden vats).

Displaying a dark, nearly opaque ruby hue in the glass, this is a wine of delicious contrasts: perfumed and lifted on one hand, luscious and well-concentrated on the other. Aromas of black and red fruits (blackcurrant, wild strawberry, blackberry) carry over to the palate, which is at the lighter end of “full-bodied.” There’s lots of energy, a nice dusting of wild herbs, black pepper, and crushed rocks. It’ll be a fantastic and sneakily elegant companion to Mediterranean beef or vegetable stews.