Three Sisters, meet Tres Picos.
Tres Picos, or three peaks, is a Spanish Garnacha from famed producer Borsao. I've been on the lookout for a good classic Garnacha for quite a while now, and now we've got one!
As the name suggests, this comes from mountain vineyards. Vines are 35-60 years old, giving nice concentration to the fruit. With just 5 months of oak Borsao has expertly given this just enough weight, tannin softening, and flavor from wood, allowing that old vine concentration to shine in the wine.
This starts with a rich Ruby color, showing off the heat and ripeness you can get from the Spanish climate. The nose immediately grabs you and pulls you into a world of complexity. Woody, almost green notes of cedar and resin come up front, then reveals stewed raspberry, and tons of smoky, leathery, meatiness. Spice notes of white pepper and licorice put the finishing touch on the nose. Classic Garnacha.
On the palate it's got low, well integrated tannins. High alcohol content (15%) gives a good firm body. Flavors are much the same, with even more of that leather and meat. The fruit is a bit brighter, and the touch of oak comes through as well.
I would easily call this a benchmark of Grenache. Pair this with game meat, sausages off the barbecue, or manchego cheese.