2019 El Escoces Volante “Es Lo Que Hay” Garnacha Viñas Viejas [WA93] Bottle Barn

Producer: El Escoces Volante  
Region: Calatayud, Aragon, Spain 
Blend: 95% Garnacha, 5% Moristel, Miguel de Arco and Provechón (Bobal) 
Year: 2019  

Retail Price: $32.00 
Our Price: $18.99*  

Founded in 2003, “The Flying Scot” is based in the highly prized region of Aragon, Spain.  It’s dedicated to the production of high-quality wines with a focus on native varieties, especially Garnacha.  A self-confessed lover of Garnacha, Norrel Robertson, the owner, was born and raised in Scotland before spending the last 20 years working all over the globe in the wine world.  Robertson won the Robert Mondavi Award for best overall theory performance in the Master of Wine course.  He’s currently the only Master of Wine living in Spain.  He produces many award-winning wines made from select high altitude vineyards.  Robertson works hand in hand with local growers in Spain.  He’s one of the best and most admired winemakers in the country.  Es lo que hay is a common Spanish expression that means “it is what it is”.  What you taste in the bottle is a true expression of what is in the vineyard.  The 2019 El Escoces Volante “Es Lo Que Hay” Garnacha Viñas Viejas is fine and elegant with intense black fruit flavors.  It’s ripe and balanced with good acicity.  This Grenache has notes of complex mineral, smoke, garrigue, hints of dry hay, straw and a touch of dark chocolate.  It’s round and full-bodied with a powerful Mediterranean profile.  Enjoy! 

Wine Advocate, 93 Points 

“The red 2019 Es Lo Que Hay is mostly old-vine Garnacha with 5% other grapes, mostly Moristel with a little Miguel de Arco and some Provechón (Bobal), from very stony old vineyards in the village of Villarroya de la Sierra. The grapes fermented together with 20% full clusters in concrete and were destemmed after a five-day cold soak with the natural yeasts; then the wine matured mostly in concrete with some leftovers in Flextank egg for 15 months. It’s ripe without excess (14.26% real alcohol), balanced by low pH and good acidity and has a powerful Mediterranean profile, round and full-bodied, with hints of dry hay and straw and a touch of dark chocolate. The 2019s are evolving nicely and should have a positive development in bottle, and this is a good example.” 

Winemaker Notes: 

“High altitude ancient vineyards (75-100 years) at 1000 to 1100 meters above sea level with Pizarra slate and quartzite soils. Completely dry grown and unirrigated, this is an inhospitable continental climate with extreme changes of temperature where mountain herbs, almonds, cherry trees and Garnacha form a breathtaking patchwork. Low annual rainfall of 200- 300mm and the remarkable soils produce fine and elegant Garnacha which is punctuated by intense black fruit flavors with complex mineral, smoke and garrigue notes.” 

Alcohol: 15% 

Organically farmed. 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Discounts do not apply to wines like this one currently on sale.