Envinate, Albahra 2023

70% Garnacha Tintorera, 30% Moravia Agria. Organic. Envínate (“wine yourself”) is the brainchild of Laura Ramos, Jose Martínez, Roberto Santana and Alfonso Torrente, four friends who met while studying winegrowing at the University of Miguel Hernández in Alicante. The Envínate philosophy is simple: let each parcel fully express itself in the finished wine by utilizing old-fashioned farming and winemaking methods. Albahra (Castilian for “small sea”) is named for the vineyard area in the Almansa region close to the town of Albacete, located at the southeastern tip of Castilla-La Mancha. 30% to 70% whole bunches are used, and maceration averages around 10 days before pressing with a pneumatic press. Fermentation completes in a mix of used barrels and concrete tanks, and the wine rests on its lees for 8 months. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and with just a touch of sulfur.