Bodega El Reventón, La Reina, 2022
Bodega El Reventón, La Reina, 2022
- 75cl
- 13%
- Red Still
- Garnacha
- Organic
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2032
La Reina is the first release from Adrianna Catena's brand new project in Gredos, Spain - having purchased the revered El Reventón vineyard from Dani Landes of cult winery Comando G in partnership with Catena Zapata's longstanding winemaker Alejandro Vigil, also partner in Adrianna's El Enemigo winery, and Honest Grapes club member Gearóid Lane.
This is the first vintage of their 40-yr old vines, unoaked garnacha, and shows significant potential, with impressive energy and tension and sappy and sapid fruits. A surefire future icon, don't miss the opportunity to own the very first bottles to be offered in the UK.
"This is a new name to keep on your radars, chaps!"
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
Currently showing vibrant primary fruit and floral character, La Reina will integrate beautifully over the next 2-3 years as the tannins soften and the granite minerality becomes more pronounced. By 2028, expect the wine to develop secondary complexity with earthy undertones and dried herb nuances complementing the red fruit core. The wine should reach its plateau around 2030 and hold there for several years before beginning a gentle decline. With its moderate alcohol and excellent acidity, it has the structure to age gracefully until the early 2030s.
What the critics say:
"Their first wine is the unoaked red Garnacha 2022 La Reina from the grapes of their 6.2-hectare, 40-year-old vineyard on granite soils in the village of San Juan de la Nava next to El Barraco. It fermented with 30% full clusters and indigenous yeasts in concrete vats, where it matured for a period of around eight months, but the end of the fermentation was without skins after pressing. Here, the search is for a wine of purity and terroir expression with no oak whatsoever. It was harvested very early in the extremely warm and dry 2022 summer to achieve moderate ripeness and only 13% alcohol, while keeping very good freshness and acidity. It has a bright and clean ruby color (impressive for an unbottled sample), and it's juicy, varietal, primary, quite perfumed and floral, with notes of herbs and easy to drink, with a medium-bodied palate and fine tannins with some grip. It's tasty, fresh and has lightness. It's a good first effort and delivered better results than expected in a challenging year. I tasted the finished wine that was still in tank, as there was only one lot that was ready, but it's fully representative of what the wine is. It should be bottled soon, in May or June 2023, but first they need to get some details sorted for this first year, like bottles, corks... They expect to fill some 21,000 bottles."
Tasting Notes
AppearanceBright ruby red with excellent clarity and a youthful rim.
NoseImmediately floral and perfumed with fresh red cherries and wild strawberries. Subtle herbal notes emerge alongside granite-driven minerality. The aromatics show impressive purity and primary fruit character.
PalateMedium-bodied with bright, juicy fruit that coats the palate. Fine-grained tannins provide structure without heaviness, whilst the granite soils contribute a distinctive mineral backbone. Fresh acidity keeps everything lively and balanced despite the warm vintage.
FinishClean and mineral-driven with lingering red fruit and a subtle herbal lift.
Overall impressionAn impressive debut that captures the essence of Gredos garnacha with remarkable purity and energy.
Food Pairings
In the Sierra de Gredos, this would traditionally accompany roasted kid goat with herbs, or cochinillo segoviano (roast suckling pig) from nearby Segovia. The locals would also pair it with chorizo de Cantimpalos, the region's famous paprika-spiced sausage, or simple grilled lamb chops seasoned with wild thyme from the mountainsides. During autumn, it would be perfect with roasted chestnuts and wild mushrooms foraged from the granite slopes, or with the hearty bean stews that sustain mountain communities through winter.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve lightly chilled at 14-15°C to emphasise its freshness and floral character. No need to decant this young wine, though 30 minutes of breathing will help the aromatics open up. Use medium-sized Burgundy glasses to concentrate the perfumed nose whilst allowing the wine's natural elegance to shine through.
The El Reventón vineyard sits in the village of San Juan de la Nava near El Barraco in the Sierra de Gredos mountains. These 40-year-old garnacha vines are planted on granite soils at altitude, which provide excellent drainage and impart a distinctive mineral backbone to the wines. The high elevation and granite bedrock create significant diurnal temperature variation, helping preserve acidity and aromatic intensity even in warm vintages like 2022.
Sierra de Gredos has emerged as one of Spain's most exciting wine regions, sitting west of Madrid in the Castilla y León mountains. Unlike the riper, more powerful garnachas found elsewhere in Spain, Gredos produces wines of remarkable freshness and minerality thanks to its granite soils and high altitude. The region has attracted international attention through pioneering producers like Comando G, with its old-vine garnachas now rivalling those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for elegance and complexity.
The 2022 growing season in Sierra de Gredos delivered one of those vintages that reminds you why altitude matters so much in central Spain. While much of the country baked under relentless summer heat, these granite slopes above 800 metres provided the natural air conditioning that kept acidity levels intact and prevented the jammy overripeness that plagued lower elevations. The key was timing—harvest came early but not frantically so, allowing growers to pick when flavours had developed fully but before the wines lost their mountain freshness.
What emerged from the cellars shows Gredos at its most expressive: Garnacha with real bite and energy rather than the soft, round style from hotter years, and reds that marry concentration with lift in that particularly Spanish way. The granitic soils seem to have left their fingerprints all over these wines—there's a mineral backbone that runs through everything, from the peachy whites to the cherry-bright reds. Most 2022s are drinking beautifully now, though the best reds will happily develop until 2030 and beyond.
FAQs
What does this wine taste like?
Bright and perfumed with juicy red fruits, floral notes, and a distinctive mineral backbone from the granite soils. It's fresh and elegant rather than powerful.
When should I drink this wine?
Drinking beautifully now and will continue to improve until 2032. No need to wait, but it will reward short-term cellaring.
What food pairs well with this garnacha?
Perfect with grilled lamb, Spanish chorizo, roasted vegetables, or wild mushroom dishes. Its freshness also makes it lovely with charcuterie.
Should I decant this wine?
No decanting needed, but 30 minutes of breathing will help the aromatics open up. Serve lightly chilled at 14-15°C.
Why is this wine special?
This is the debut vintage from Adrianna Catena's new Spanish project using the legendary El Reventón vineyard. You're getting the very first bottles from what's destined to become an iconic producer.
How does this compare to other Spanish reds?
This represents the modern style of high-altitude Spanish garnacha - fresh, mineral, and elegant rather than the riper, more powerful styles found in warmer regions.
OUR GROWERS
Bodega El Reventón
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