Soto y Manrique Naranjas Azules Garnacha Rosado 2019

• Buy a case for just $13.99 per bottle
• Buy Six - $14.99
• Buy Three - $15.99
• All Else Sale - $16.99 – Which is still the Best US Price Online!!!

92 pts Wine Advocate / 90 pts Penin Guide

The importer first brought this winery to me in January, with a US First Dibs offer on their highly-rated reds. More on those later, when the weather cools. In researching the winery, I saw they produced a rose which had garnered six straight 90-93 pt reviews from Wine Advocate, and three straight 90-92 pt reviews from the esteemed, and point-stingy Penin Guide, Spain’s most influential wine review.

So I asked if I could get samples of the reds and the 2020 rose. No dice on the rose, as they were unwilling to send a tank sample. But, they said, we can send you a 2019… and we still have a little to sell.

While I do feel many rose are drunk too young, as little as 6 months after harvest, I was still a little skeptical. But sure, why not? Especially after I read the WA review which commented, “So, the wine is powerful, perhaps a little too young now…”

Easily one of my best tastings of the year, the wines are a complete smoke show! And the rose? I didn’t care that I could order 2020… get me the 2019! Because even in February, it still needed a little time!

Well, it’s finally hear and ready to roll!

100% Garnacha (Grenache) from 50-100+ year old vines. Yeah… 100+… Cebreros (Gredos) is an area time (and wineries) forgot. Jesús‘Chuchi’ Soto took over the local cooperative a handful of years ago and has been uncovering vineyards ever since. Literally – like some were buried in a tangle of wild vines and bushes.

Anyway… with fruit from these old vines, Chuchi quickly presses the grapes to extract juice without any maceration or skin contact.

The result is the very pale pink gem you see above. But don’t let the color fool you. “Powerful…” that’s how Luis Gutierrez from Wine Advocate described it. And I agree. It is just packed with… I don’t know… I mean, there is fruit there… strawberry and cherry… but also jasmine and mint. And the acidity is striking! LG commented it “makes you salivate” – yes! Perfect! That salivation make you wanna eat… which makes you wanna drink… and around and around we go! Is it 5 o’clock yet?

What to pair with? Tapas is the obvious solution, but you could certainly pair with a salad, fish, shellfish, chicken, pork… but seriously… tapas! No recipes today… just some pictures from the town's Castille Tapeo… from left to right… boquerones (white anchovies) on top of some potato chips, crispy bread with tomato puree and jamon, and a piquillo pepper stuffed with cod and prawns… oh my…



Or reply. The wine is available now in Chapel Hill. Friday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.