Matsanko 2021

ProducerAseginolaza & LeundaRegionNavarra, SpainGrapeTempranillo 85%, Garnacha 10%, Viura 5%GeologySandy clay, weathered conglomerateFarmingOrganic (uncertified)Vintage2021ABV13.5%CertifierUncertified

AbstractCherry, floral, spicy
Tempranillo from higher vineyards beneath Montejurra, fermented as whole bunches with a little Garnacha and white Viura.

Winemaker
Jon Aseginolaza and Pedro Leunda are childhood friends from San Sebastián and environmental biologists. They began with Santa Zita, an old Garnacha vineyard near San Martín de Unx, in 2016.

They restore neglected vineyards in Navarra, pruning, tending and picking by hand. The vines rely on rainfall and organic compost, with no herbicides or systemic pesticides. Their farming is organic, without certification.

Wine
Matsanko 2021 is 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 5% Viura, the white grape. Old, dry-farmed bush vines supply a red with cherry fruit, floral aromas and a long, spicy finish.

Hand-picked grapes ferment as whole bunches with native yeasts in stainless steel. Daily manual pump-overs are followed by basket pressing and malolactic fermentation in steel. It spends five months in used French oak, then settles naturally before bottling unfiltered with a small sulphur addition. Just 1,740 bottles were made.

Origin
Dicastillo and Arellano lie beneath Montejurra in Navarra. The south-facing vineyards sit at 490–585 metres, on sandy clay scattered with stones from weathered conglomerate.