El Escocés Volante, La Multa
CALATAYUD
Another Aragón DO with a claim on the ‘empire of Garnacha’ title, Calatayud provides precisely the kind of tough terrain in which Garnacha seems to take a kind of perverse pleasure in thriving: windy, arid, hot. That makes for a rich and powerful style, but not, in the right hands, overbearingly so. Many of the frequently very old (50 years-plus) vineyards are planted at altitudes of up to 800m on the slopes of the Sierra de la Virgen mountains, and the wide variation in day- and night-time temperatures here allows for wines that balance concentration and intensity with freshness and lift.
Certainly, that’s the case with the many Garnachas produced in the region by Norrel Robertson, the Scottish Master of Wine and Calatayud resident behind the El Escocés Volante (‘The Flying Scotsman’) label. Robertson works with growers throughout the region to unearth blocks of promising old-vine Garnacha, which he turns into one of the most consistent Spanish ranges around. It includes the exuberant La Multa, which hails from vines planted on red clay over chalky soils at altitudes between
700m and 800m in the Ribota Valley.
El Escocés Volante, La Multa Garnacha, Calatayud, Aragón 2017 89 £9.99 Alliance Wine, Borders Wines, Talking Wines, The Whisky Exchange
One of many superb – and superbly priced – Garnacha bottlings from the flying Scotsman, Norrel Robertson MW, this wine is soft and generous in feel with its abundant fresh red fruit, old-vine depth and hints of herbal freshness. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 14.5%