Finca Antigua – Garnacha Crianza 2019 review

TLDR

A very easy drinking Spanish wine with a mix of dark fruity flavours and strong yet balanced acidity. A great option to pair with food, but equally fitting if you are just looking for a nice bottle of red to enjoy on the sofa whilst watching your favourite TV show. For me, it was Star Trek Strange New Worlds followed by Saving Lives at Sea. I highly recommend Finca Antigua's Ciranza Garnacha for anyone looking for a reasonably priced, easy drinking red to pair with dinner or to enjoy by itself.

Appearance

Deep purple with edges of garnet red. When swirled in the glass we see that the wine appears thin in consistency with legs that barely stick to the sides.

Aroma

Incredibly fruity on the nose with aromas of fresh, tart blackberries. Like the ones you pick on an early autumn walk thinking it’ll be a nice, sweet treat and then cause you to scrunch your face up at its sour tang. Given some time to breath however, this wine then begins to display a more refined aroma of freshly picked violets.

Taste

Flavours of tart blackberry, blackcurrant and a bramble berry jam or preserve are the top notes of this Garnacha. Each fruity flavour brings a decent zing of acidity which balances well with its noticeably astringent tannins. Every sip lightly dries the mouth encouraging you to take another.

Food Pairing

This is the perfect wine for a charcuterie board. Its fruity flavours and strong balanced acidity will help pair with stronger cured cheeses and cut through softer creamy cheese. Another great option would be any kind of roasted white meat, from pork roulade to a fully loaded roast chicken dinner. But as said before, don't let a lack of food stop you from enjoying this red.

Wine Smeller Thoughts

On September the 19th it was international Grenache day. Grenache is the French name of the Spanish grape Garnacha, which makes fantastically fruity and easy drinking single variety wines, and makes a great flavour enhancer when blended with Syrah, Mourvèdre or Cabernet Sauvignon. Garnacha/Grenache is well loved in France and Spain, where it takes pride of place in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Rioja blends as well as single variety wines in the Languedoc and La Mancha. I decided a great way to celebrate this day was to host a French vs Spanish wine tasting where I work at Bottles Wine Bar.

Whenever I host a tasting the first thought is what wines do I choose to show? A question which gives me a fantastic excuse to try new wines.

I'll have you know it's not alcoholism... it's market research!

This is where I got to try Finca Antigua's Garnacha Crianza and I can say it was a wholly pleasant experience in every way. The Crianza was smooth, fruity, full of dark berry flavours and highly aromatic. The fruity flavours and decent balanced acidity means that it would be a great option as a food pairing wine, whilst its incredibly smooth mouthfeel and soft tannins allow it to be equally suited to drinking by itself. When you put this versatility together with its more than approachable price tag, what you have is a wine that's impossible not to like.