Chozas Carrascal - Anma Tinto, DO Utiel-Requena, Spain (2019)

TASTING NOTES

Fine yet complex aromas, intense and elegant on the nose. Aromas of ripe red fruit, with toasted and balsamic notes, as well as subtle hints of roasted and mineral notes. Smooth and round attack and polished tannins stand out. With a medium mouthfeel, balanced acidity that enhances its silkiness. Persistent aftertaste, reminiscent of those toasted nuances.

The hand-harvested grapes are crushed into concrete tanks for 18-21 days of maceration and fermentation. The wine then spends 10 months on its lees in 5000 litre French oak foudres for aging and softening of the tannins. It spends another year aging in bottle before release.

Located in Valencia, in Spain’s Mediterranean east at 700m above sea level, 65 km from the coast. Despite its proximity to the sea, the climate is decidedly continental, making for hot summers, cold winters and large diurnal temperature variations. The estate’s dry setting is somewhat offset by its limestone-rich soils, which importantly retain moisture. DO Utiel-Requena produces mostly red wines and nearly 95% of the vineyards are planted with red grape varieties.

In 1990, husband and wife team Julin López and María José Peidro purchased an established vineyard in the Requena-Utiel region of Valencia in south-eastern Spain. Shortly thereafter, when their extensive studies identified that their terroir was similar to that of many of the French vineyards they frequently visited as a family, they planted several international grape varieties.  

Today, the Chozas Carrascal vineyard is comprised of 14 plots sitting at 750-840m above sea-level on a thick slab of limestone-based subsoil, distinctive within the region. Their climate is significantly more continental than the rest of the D.O.P., with hot, dry summer days and cool, fresh nights. The winery’s uniqueness was recognized in 2012 when it was awarded ‘Vino de Pago’ status, meaning the winery is its own D.O., separate, distinct and at the top of the Spanish wine hierarchy.

The 30-hectare vineyard at Chozas Carrascal is planted with 12 grape varieties split between local, indigenous grapes—Bobal, Monastrell, Garnacha, Tempranillo and Macabeo—and widely-recognized French examples: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. These vineyards are farmed and certified organic and the wines exhibit elegant structure, intense, complex character and, most importantly, delicious drinkability.