International garnacha competition “Grenaches du Monde”, has awarded gold medals to four Viñas del Vero wines from D.O. Somontano: Secastilla 2017, Secastilla 2016, La Miranda de Secastilla 2017 and La Miranda de Secastilla Garnacha Blanca 2018.
This was an outstanding result for Secastilla in what is the foremost international Garnacha competition. The jury for the 8th edition of the contest, which saw the top renditions of the variety from France, Italy and Australia also vying for recognition, acknowledged the style of Secastilla, which is closely linked to the high-altitude vineyards and mountain viticulture practices.
The winning wines are four ambassadors for the variety and come from the Secastilla valley, a remote enclave in the foothills of the Pyrenees that has been brought back into production specialising in unique, unusual wines. This is a distinctive terroir that was cultivated by the Romans centuries ago, where the soil is stony and the plots lie on steep hillsides. The valley has a special microclimate, affording unique, perfect conditions that enable the traditional garnacha grape to deliver unique expressions that capture the essence of the place in every bottle.
Secastilla are special wines, made from old garnacha vines grown at high altitude and trained in the gobelet style. The wines are aged for 10 months in new French oak barrels so they become full-bodied, rounded and develop a pronounced intensity. La Miranda de Secastilla is made mostly from garnacha grapes grown in high-altitude vineyards, but also contains some Syrah and Parraleta, a local variety. After 8 months in French oak barrels, this combination produces a full-flavoured wine with a long finish. La Miranda de Secastilla Garnacha Blanca is a rich, rounded wine that is aged for four months in French oak barrels.
These wines reflect Viñas del Vero winemaker José Ferrer’s experience and skill in making wines to be enjoyed with food and, always, at a slow, relaxed pace.
