2024 Binario, Garnacha Blanca, Skin-Contact, Rioja, Spain.
A new and wild “Orange” wine from Spain’s once conservative Rioja region with an interesting array of flavors, a tangy dry palate and clean detailing, showing dried apricot, burn\t orange, lemon preserves and peach notes, along with wet stone, saline and spice. Almost full bodied and firm with the skin extraction, this is a unique effort and best with food, but not an especially easy pairing, I’d say go with mixed cheeses and almonds or a poultry and or pork dishes. This 100% Garnacha Blanca, or Grenache Blanc, crafted by Ruth and Ana De Andrés, was skin fermented for about 7 days in stainless steel vat, where it also lees aged for a few months before bottling, to preserve vibrancy, purity and the lifted, delicately floral aromatics. Grown on classic limestone and clay based soils and made from carefully sorted ripe clusters this wine shows gives an added dimension of depth and is nicely hued in the glass.
Binario, which is a daily new project, which includes many non binary people in the production of this wine, started from the Serrano family efforts to make a statement about inclusion and acceptance. According to their US importer, since 1998, the Serrano family have been pioneers of organic and biodynamic farming in Rioja and Navarra regions of Spain. They employ dry farming practices, with over 70 hectares of vines have been certified all organic and farmed with the mentioned biodynamic practices. Tucked between the Calahorra and Andosilla range, the balance of continental climate with Mediterranean influence allowed the Serrano’s to employ polyculture to promote diversity amongst their 30yrs old vines and make ripe, but balanced wines in harmony with nature here. I look for to trying the Tempranillo based red wine from Binario soon, but orange wine fans will enjoy this one.
($25 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive