Cerro La Isa Garnacha 2019 (red)
A monumental mountain Garnacha from a vineyard more than 110 years old. Its dark, inky color and profoundly deep notes of blackcurrant, tobacco, and coffee rest on a firm, mineral structure.
| Category: | Red |
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Cerro La Isa Garnacha comes from a unique vineyard planted in 1906 in Alto Najerilla. Goblet-trained vines sit on exposed south-facing slopes at 700 m altitude on poor, shallow clay-limestone soils rich in iron.
VARIETY
100% Garnacha Tinta
WINERY
Organic.
HARVEST
Hand harvest with very low yields (approx. 2,500 kg/ha).
VINIFICATION AND AGING
Aged 18 months in new 500 l French oak barrels (Tronçais), where alcoholic fermentation also takes place.
BOTTLING
1,200 bottles.
ANALYSIS
Alcohol: 15%.
TASTE AND CHARACTER
In the glass, the wine shows a dark, almost inky color. The nose is layered like a mountain landscape, moving between ripe blackcurrant, roasted coffee, tobacco, and balsamic herbs. The palate is monumentally full yet unexpectedly fresh, with excellent, almost velvety tannins and a long mineral backbone.
SOMMELIER'S TIP
Serve at around 16–18 °C. Excellent with roasted and braised meats such as lamb, beef, and game, steaks with pepper or herb crusts, and rich Mediterranean or Italian dishes.
Discussion
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Juan Carlos Sancha is a native of Baños de Río Tobía in Rioja Alta, home to one of the coldest and highest-altitude areas in all of DOCa Rioja.
The 5-hectare winery relies on a family heritage dating back to his great-grandfather, who planted vines on steep, poor clay-calcareous soils here.
Juan Carlos Sancha is not only a winemaker but also a professor of oenology at the University of La Rioja and an international consultant specializing in artisanal organic wines. In 2008, he abandoned large projects to focus on his own. He began farming the family vines with a clear vision: creating authentic wines reflecting the cool Alto Najerilla terroir.
Sancha is an uncompromising advocate of organic winemaking with minimal intervention (natural wines), which is quite pioneering in traditional Rioja.