Country: Spain
Region: Navarra
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Cork
Retailer: Naked Wines
Price: £5.99
Serve chilled but not too cold.
This wine came in a mixed case of 6 from Naked Wines. This particular “Pink” wine is not one I would normally choose as it inevitably takes me back to the 1970’s and the only choice then was Mateus Rose!
The best way to cool this bottle at the time of drinking was in the snow as you can see from the picture, but I think Rose wine should really be sipped on a hot summer’s afternoon.
On opening the immediate aroma was of cherries and sweet summer fruits, not really very complex but it has the right amount of refreshing acidity and it was a vibrant pink colour. I would give it 5/10 mainly because I prefer drier wines.
The wine maker Monsieur Benoit Dreyer joined the team Tafalla in the Navarra Valley Spain, but was originally from the Alsace region of France, an area where the wines tend to be slightly sweeter.
The label was interesting and made me ponder over the location of where the old building was and if I may visit there one day.
The grape used in the production of this wine was the Garnacha grape variety found in the Navarra Valley of Northern Spain, it is also found in the Rhone Valley in France, both regions being renowned for producing good quality wines. It was suggested on the bottle that this wine was best drunk with salad, fish and chicken but I also found it palatable with cheese.
I’d love to know where this winery is as i live in Navarra, 10 km from Tafalla. There is no Navarra valley and no Tafalla valley for that matter.
Come to think of it, I’ve never heard of the winery either!
Hi Liam
Thanks for taking the time to post. We could well be wrong with our research but we bought the wine here
http://www.nakedwines.com/wines/castillo-de-tafalla-rosado-2009.htm
and they make several mentions of Navarra Valley
Their wine maker page is here
http://www.nakedwines.com/winemakers/benoit-dreyer.htm
would definitely be interested to get to the bottom of this so would love to hear from you again!
I’ve only just come across this wine and I must agree that particularly in the present heat I found it quite delicious although I am sure it will also be enjoyable in other circumstances. Has anyone (I imagine it would be Liam) solved the mystery of the location of the winery?
Hi Julie and Neil
Thanks for the mention and glad you liked the wine…it is one of my personal favourites as well.
It is made for us by Benoit using the winery at the local co-op in Tafalla (Vinicola de Tafalla). Benoit is the winemaker there, and was keen to do a rose that was a bit different to the usual, and when we tasted it we loved it, so took the lot!
The co-op has 247 growers, with plots all over Tafalla, (Liam have you heard of “la celada”, “el curtido”, “buskil”, “balgorra”, “Valmayor”, “Juncal”, “Solcanto”, “eskal”….”aquitana”, “Valdetina”, Pedrera”…?)
This is A Good Thing, because it means that Benoit can select little parcels from all over and then blend and blend until he has the taste he is looking for.
The co-op does not normally accept visitors, but Benoit will take you around if you contact us first
Regards
Rowan Gormley, Naked Wines
ps and yes there is no Navarra Valley! Will clean that up!
(rowan@nakedwines.com)
Hi Rowan – thanks for taking the time to comment and for telling us a bit more about Benoit.
Glad to know more, now just waitning til I get back to the UK and taste some of the wine.
Fortunately, family have some stored up for us!
All the best,
Liam