PAGO CASA GRAN FALCATA

Description

In the cradle of Valencia’s Les Alcusses mountains, at over 500 meters above sea level, sits this timeless Pago, the Casa Gran, at the foot of the famed archeological site of La Bastida de Les Alcusses, one of the earliest Phoenician settlements, and one of the best preserved. This lofty valley contends for the title of earliest vines planted in the entirety of the Iberian Peninsula. The remnants of winemaking here date back to at least the 4th century BC.

Since 2006, Pago Casa Gran has been organically certified, and their vineyards boom with biodiversity. Select floral cover crops draw particular pests from the vines of certain varietals. Perhaps more importantly, these cover crops both cool and enrich the soils in a region famously hot and organically spare. This excellent fruit enters their newly built cellars where the virtues of terroir-farming meet the crispy-clean crowd-pleasing styling Pago Casa Gran is known for.

This one is a blend of Garnacha Tintorera (also known as Alicante Bouschet), Syrah, and Monastrell (also known as Mourvedre). Fermentation and maceration takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Each variety has been processed by its own with native yeast. After fermentation, the varieties are blended. 12 months in new and used French oak barriques. 12 months in bottle before release.

Though it technically has the same bones as a Cotes du Rhone, it only really bears some semblance to one.  This Crianza bottling of the most expressive sites gives forth a more lifted red fruit, blackberries and baking spice, with a smack of plum at the end. Concentrated, but lively. Garnacha Tintorera is different from regular Garnacha, and is one of the only grapes in the world to have both red skin, and red flesh inside. This always leads to intensely fruit-driven wine, and likely is why this wine deviates so strongly from a typical French GSM…well, that and not being French I’m sure.