2013AltaRoses2013 Joan d’ Anguera, Garnatxa “Altaroses” Darmos, Montsant DO, Spain.
All organic, demeter certified biodynamic, pure Grenache from Darmos in Montsant by Joan d’ Anguera the Altaroses is a great expression of place and varietal with beautiful detail and lovely mouth feel. There isn’t many under $20 Garnacha’s that compare to this one, and 2013 is a superb vintage for this wine, it shows impressive character and is very charming with wonderful balance, it is not an over-ripe jammy style, it is very stylish and shows restraint, supple fruit, savory elements and finesse. The 2013 Altaroses by Joan d’ Anguera starts with floral and peppery spices on the nose with a burst of red berries leading to palate that surprises with vivid black raspberry, plum, strawberry and boysenberry fruits, chalky mineral, nice refined sweet tannin, a bit of lift in acidity and an array of lavender, dried flowers, cola bean, a hint of game/earth, anise and kirsch. The texture and vitality is really pleasing, the feeling on the palate is rich and pleasing, but not heavy or too dense, there is an elegance and grace not usually found in this class of Grenache, and it is very quaffable, great for sipping and perfect for outdoor gatherings and BBQ cuisine. It is really hard not to love this medium bodied gem from Joan d’ Anguera, they are making a fantastic set of hand-crafted wines, from this beauty to their ultra top end single vineyard Syrah, this is a winery to watch! Over the past few years they have converted to biodynamic, gone traditional and less oak in the cellar and their rocky terroir with tiny yields have really turned this label around, this is a good time to discover their quality, drink the Altaroses now through 2020.
($17 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

By admin