Tandem 'Casual' Garnacha Red 2016

Traditionally, Navarran winemakers wore formal clothing. Worsted trousers, thick cotton shirts, a waistcoat and jacket. Women or men! Given the blistering summers, it made work horrendous. Indeed, for decades, the wines of the region were recognisable through their slight briney edge, put down to the distant influence of Atlantic breezes by those unaware of the truth.

The uncomfortable tradition persisted until one brutally hot year when levels of perspiration among the crew were such the wines this time were ruined. Disaster. But finally the old costume was abandoned. At the news, workers celebrated by cracking into a barrel of mountain Garnacha as vibrant and expressive as the clothes they were free to choose, at last! Or 'Tandem!' as they say in Spain. You can enjoy it wearing whatever you want!

Compañía Vitivinícola Tandem was founded in 2003 by Alicia Eyaralar, José María Fraile and a small group of relatives and friends that share a love for wine. Tandem means "at last", representing the shared aspirations of its two partners in fulfilling their dream and the mission they have taken on. Their aim is to make Tandem a reference point for high quality wines in the Navarra DO by producing wines that have elegance and personality that express the character of the land that the grapes were grown on.

The winery employs a minimal intervention approach to winemaking; an approach designed based on Alicia's extensive experience in the industry. Having studied winemaking at the Universidad Politecnica de Barcelona, Alicia worked at Bodegea Valdeobispo before arriving in Navarra in 1991 and meeting her future partner, José, at Palacio de la Vega. She left Palacia de la Vega in 1997 to consult for wineries in both Navarra and Rioja before finally founding Compañía Vitivinícola Tandem in 2003.

Grapes for the 'Casual' Garnacha Red are cold macerated before fermentation takes place using natural yeasts at a temperature of 25°c. Wines are racked using gravity to concrete vats in the lower storey of the winery, where alcoholic fermentation finishes and malolactic conversion takes place. The wines are then kept in underground vats for around 6 months in order to preserve freshness whilst allowing the wine to express the purity of the garnacha fruit. Filtration is kept to a minimum before being bottled.

With a deep red cherry colour, this powerful red wine has intense red fruit aromas and flavours with a structured, fresh and velvety palate. It pairs well with a variety of casseroles, pastas cheese and chocolate.