Panel tasting: Garnacha Blanca

Previously dismissed for producing high-alcohol, full-bodied wines, this native Spanish grape is undergoing a transformation thanks to innovative winemakers. Sarah Jane Evans MW reports

W hat a transformation! Thirty years ago there were more than 16,000ha of Garnacha Blanca in Spain, the majority in Catalonia with lesser amounts in Aragón, and almost insignificant quantities in Rioja and Navarra. By 2010 that overall figure had plummeted to just over 2,000ha.

Thankfully today, Garnacha Blanca is fighting back against being substituted by more lucrative red varieties and whites with greater consumer appeal. It may still be relatively thin on the ground, but it adds a real point of difference to Spain’s portfolio of whites.

Spain’s aromatic unoaked whites have become well established, its Albariños (see p48) and Verdejos, its Treixaduras and Godellos, most of them grown in the country’s west and northwest. Rioja’s most famous white variety is Viura, offered in several styles.

Garnacha Blanca is, in the main, proudly Catalan, often with a distinct Mediterranean profile in many cases. Where it flourishes is at higher altitudes, on appropriate soils, whether slate, clay, or the ‘panal’ soils of Terra Alta, which are fossilised sand dunes. Terra Alta’s other beneficial influences, alongside vineyards as high as 800m, are the Ebro river valley and the strong, cold El Cierzo wind.

Fresh look

Traditionally Garnacha Blanca was known for its full body, textured palate, for its lack of aromatics and of fruitiness, and its low acidity. Furthermore it laboured under the same characteristic as its relative Garnacha Tinta, that of generating too much alcohol. At a time when the world started to look for fresher, crisper whites, Garnacha Blanca seemed to be at a real disadvantage. What has made the difference is the all-round focus on soils, viticulture and winemaking.

When it comes to marketing, there’s no doubt that Garnacha Blanca has really benefited from the recent rise in prestige of (red) Garnacha, as have the latter’s relatives Garnacha Gris, Garnacha Peluda (‘hairy’ Garnacha) and Garnacha Tintorera (which is actually Alicante Bouschet and not Garnacha at all). The variety is a mutation of Garnacha Tinta, much as Tempranillo Blanco is a white mutation of red

Tempranillo. The latest research, by Maite Rodríguez, proves that within Spain there are genetically different Garnacha Blancas. Navarra, for instance, has been found to have one clone; Rioja and the Bodegas Torres research vineyards have another.

Undoubtedly the wine it makes is fresher today. Growers are learning to manage that weightiness. It is certainly more aromatic than it used to be. If you have not tried Garnacha Blanca for a while, it’s time to go back and see the changes.

Some producers are blending with other varieties. Viognier is popular but not a great choice, as it too tends towards the weighty and alcoholic. More successful is the rare example of Chenin Blanc, which adds a necessary lift of acidity. Garnacha Blanca also turns up with success in the distinctive white blend created by Telmo Rodríguez at Remelluri in Rioja. The grape’s complexity suits it to a modicum of barrelageing. It often works well as an orange wine – made like a red. Some producers are also working with traditional amphorae.

In the end, origin is all. Garnacha Blanca is a vine that is undoubtedly sensitive to vintage variation and to terroir. In the right places, however, it delivers glorious complexity.

Sarah Jane Evans MW is one of our three DWWA Regional Co-Chairs and author of The Wines of Northern Spain

Garnacha Blanca may not be as well known as Spain’s other native white grapes, but for adventurous wine lovers, that’s undoubtedly part of its appeal. Not even our panel of expert judges were quite sure what to expect from this varied line-up of wines – though they were certainly keen to see how the grape is performing across different regions of Spain.

‘There was quite a variety of flavours and styles here,’ explained Pierre Mansour. ‘So trying to define exactly what Garnacha Blanca means for Decanter readers is quite tricky.’ Sarah Jane Evans MW agreed. ‘There are many more styles of Garnacha Blanca than you could guess. But they are all very interesting wines,’ she pointed out.

‘The main thing is that Garnacha Blanca used to be very alcoholic, with low acidity – not a wine that you’d receommend,’ said Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW. ‘But this is not the case now. In this tasting we had at least 50 wines that were very well made, all with different qualities. And that is a very special thing.’

Despite the obvious stylistic diversity of the wines – which were a mixture of both single varietals and blends – the judges were able to identify some distinguishing characteristics of the new-generation of Garnacha Blanca wines. ‘In general you could say that Garnacha Blanca has a floral, white fruit character. The wines that I gave top marks to tended to have a lovely subtlety and delicacy about them, supported by a juicy fruit quality and a softness to the texture,’ said Mansour. ‘In fact I think texture’s really important with Garnacha Blanca.’ Evans agreed: ‘Those wines that had a really lovely smooth, round texture stood out for me.’

Wines were tasted regionally and one region in particular was a highlight for the judges. ‘I think that the really magic place for Garnacha Blanca is Catalonia,’ said Ballesteros Torres. ‘There’s a clear difference of style between Catalonia and the rest of Spain,’ he added.

Evans picked out the Catalan sub-regions of Priorat and Terra Alta in particular. ‘A couple of wines from Priorat had a real sense of place. It was the first time I wrote “typicity” in my notes. Then Terra Alta was a step up. I think Terra Alta’s producers are right to be super-proud of what they have.’

That said, the judges agreed that viticultural and winemaking choices were bigger factors in determining the style and quality of Garnacha Blanca than where it is grown. ‘The influence of the winemaker is very important,’ said Ballesteros Torres. ‘The decisions on the timing for harvesting and then the decisions on style.’

‘There are many more styles of Garnacha Blanca than you could guess’

Sarah Jane Evans MW

‘There were oxidative styles, versus the fresher, earlier-picked ones – and it’s definitely down to the producer,’ agreed Mansour.

So how can wine lovers get to grips with Garnacha Blanca?

‘It’s something that I’d like to be recommended to me by a merchant that I trust, or in a restaurant, because I think it’s a very gastronomic wine,’ said Evans. ‘A lot of these wines are not produced in very big quantities, but they have something really original. So it’s a speciality category and I think it needs recommendation.’

‘Follow the winemaker,’ added Mansour.’ Garnacha Blanca is a grape that, in the right hands, carefully managed in the vineyard, can make really wonderful wines,’ he explained.

‘People just need to taste the wine and discover how lovely it is!’ concluded Evans.