Viña Zorzal

NAVARRA

Producers in Navarra have sometimes struggled to have their voices heard above those of the noisy neighbours in Rioja. Their strongest claim to fame has taken the form of appealingly full-flavoured but balanced rosés. But when it comes to reds, a somewhat scattergun approach based, over the past couple of decades, on

Tempranillo and an array of international varieties has brought a reputation for so-so competence rather than thrilling wines with a distinct sense of place.

That the Navarra region is capable of much more is abundantly clear to anyone who tastes the wines of Zorzal. Founded 30 years ago by winemaker Antonio Sanz and now run by his sons Iñaki,

Xabier and Mikel, Zorzal originally captured attention with its vivid Graciano. But it has gone on to become a leader of the local renaissance of Garnacha, a variety that accounted for 90% of Navarra’s vineyard as recently as 1980, but has since dwindled to about 25%. The key for Zorzal, as with so much great modern Spanish Garnacha, is vine age: in vineyards planted at around 500m altitude in the village of Fitero, Zorzal has bush vines that range up to a remarkable 115 years old. Since the mid-2010s, this is where the brothers have been making Malayeto and Corral de los Altos, a pair of astonishingly pure and fragrant single-parcel Garnachas that have quickly established themselves, alongside fellow Navarra Garnacha maestros Domaines Lupier, as among the best in Spain. Viña Zorzal, Garnacha, Navarra 2018 88 £7.50 The Wine Society

Bright and beautiful Garnacha in unoaked, uninhibitedly fruit-driven mode, with finger-staining bright berry fruitiness and a soft and supple palate that scores very highly on the flavour-per-pound scale. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 14%