Miguel Merino, La Insula, Rioja 2019

This new release comes from an ungrafted 1,000m2 plot planted on sandy soils next to the Ebro River in Briones – the chances are that it is pre-phylloxera. The wine has herbal, peppery aromas and a fragrant, almost ethereal palate. Despite the slightly warm finish, this is a beautiful, pure Garnacha. Unfortunately, production is limited to the 500-litre cask where it was aged.