The Story
The Proyecto la Garnacha Salvaje del Moncayo translates to the Wild Garnacha Project of Moncayo. The concept behind this wine is simple. Find old, neglected Garnacha vineyards and bring them back to life.
The Moncayo is one the largest mountain peaks (Pyrenees) along the Elbro Valley in the district of Aragon in northeast Spain. Further north and a little west along the Elbro Valley is the Rioja wine region
There was a time when Garnacha was the most planted red wine grape in Spain, Tempranillo now leads the way. The most planted wine grape in Spain is Arien a White wine grape that makes the local inexpensive everyday wine and is seldom seen outside of Spain.
The owners of the Garnacha Project explore the old wine-growing areas where many of the old vineyards have had the vines pulled out and the land put to a different use. They would find neglected, have forgotten vineyards, and bring them back to life.
The Proyecto la Garnacha Salvaje del Moncayo is the younger, drink-it-now wine in their line-up. This Garnacha was aged in new French oak barrels for 5 months. This region is inland, not coastal the summers can get hot, though the mountains can moderate the climate and cool things down at night.
So, this is a wine, a Garnacha rescued from a forgotten vineyard. If you are not familiar with Garnacha, it is the same grape as Grenache which is one of the 2 main grapes (Syrah is the other) of the southern Rhone region in France. The Rhone region in France and the Aragon region in Spain are not that far from each other. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
Proyecto la Garnacha Salvaje del Moncayo Tasting Notes
The color is very dark but somehow still see-thru black cherry red. The nose is lush and ripe, there are bright and juicy red berries, a slap of spice, a savory, herbal scent, mint, a whiff of smoke, blackberry, and pepper.
This Garnacha was lighter on the palate than expected, it has bright fruit flavors and plenty of spice. It tastes of blackberry mixed with licorice, there is some sharp orange zest, a little spice, and ripe plum.
The mid-palate adds Snickers bar chocolate, raspberry, a hint of cream, and a little Dr. Pepper (not sweet). The tannins are sweet and smooth and the acidity is really well balanced, it lets the flavors unfold and gets your palate looking for another sip.
The Summary
- The Proyecto la Garnacha Salvaje del Moncayo is a really great value for a ten buck wine.
- A long-standing CheapWinefinder Red wine rule is if you want the best inexpensive Red wine then learn to like Garnacha from Spain.
- There are probably more 89to 90 plus point wines in the under 15 dollars Spanish section of your local wine dealer than any other wine geographic section.
- The Project Garnacha tastes great, is well-made, and does not put a dent in your wallet.
