MANGA DEL BRUJO

Varietals: Garnacha 65%, Syrah 15%, Tempranillo 15%, Mazuelo5%
Vintage: 2006
Winemaker: Norrel Robertson
D.O.: Calatayud
Total Production: 2,000 cases (9lt cases)

TASTING NOTES
Color: Deep purple with ruby rim
Nose: Black fruits, cracked pepper, smoke & toast
Palate: Deep black fruit and cherrys. Full bodied with firm tannins
Finish: Long, smoky and toasty

VITICULTURE/VINIFICATION
Manga del Brujo begins as bush vine grapes in the slate studded Jiloca valley at 2,600 feet above sea level. The wild mountain herbs amongst the vineyards give rise to the distinctive varietal aromas and garrigue character in the wine. The Syrah was destemmed but not crushed to give a high proportion of whole berry fruit. This in turn was cold soaked until a wild fermentation ensued after which the must was inoculated with a wild Rhone yeast strain. Fermentation proceed at 28 celsius and the wine was pressed off using only free run juice. Malo took place in tank and 50% in new and used French and American oak. The meticulously sourced 100 year old bush vine Garnacha was destemmed, crushed and inoculated with several Rhone yeasts. Temperature controlled fermentation commenced and lasted 7 days with pumpovers and delistage for color and tannin extraction followed by a short maceration. The free run wine underwent malo in tank. The Tempranillo received similar treatment as the Garnacha followed by full malolactic fermentation in tank and 50% in barrel.

TECHNICAL DATA
pH: 3.56
TA: 6.5 g/l
ALC: 14.0%
RS: 1.8g/l
Malolactic: Yes
Tannin: 0.1g/l vr supra tannin


WINEMAKER: Norrel Robertson, MW
Norrel spent the past five years in Calatayud searching out individual blocks of fruit in order to produce a wine of massive intensity. Calatayud offers one of the most unique areas in Spain for old vine Grenache and is set to follow Priorat as a cutting edge region for Grenache based wines and world class winemaking. 2006 is the second vintage of this predominately Grenache/Syrah blend. The Grenache was carefully sourced from only the highest elevation slate vineyards in the Jiloca valley. Yield from the 70-100 year old bush vines did not exceed 20 hl/acre. The Tempranillo was hand harvested from 25 year old vines on two selected parcels.
Norrel feels that the fruit from these sites offers great tannic structure and inerality. This select fruit combined with careful temperature controlled fermentation and use of French and American oak barrels with high toast has delivered a distinctive full-bodied Rhone blend. In his words “Manga del Brujo is designed to be a serious wine with a style and structure suited to fine food”.


Press
Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 90+ Points. Issue # 175, Feb 2008