Mayor's Choice '22 - Garnacha (ES)

This is the 2022 vintage of Mayor's Choice, a garnacha grown entirely in Priorat, one of Spain's most storied red wine regions. Our partner farmer Roger Grifoll Declara tends the vines using conventional methods on Priorat's rugged, mineral rich soil, letting the grape show its full, spicy character. After fermenting in stainless steel, the wine spends time resting on oak, rounding out into something intense and generous at 14.5 percent alcohol. It already drinks beautifully, blackberries and black currants wrapped in licorice and warm spice, but it has the structure to keep developing for up to three years after harvest if you have the patience to let it sit.

With its spicy, full bodied character, this Garnacha loves rich, slow cooked dishes, think braised lamb, chorizo or a proper plate of patatas bravas. A well aged manchego or a square of dark chocolate afterward brings out its vanilla and oak even more, and it holds its own next to a good cigar if that is your thing.