Vina Zorzal: Discovering Navarra's Potential Parcel by Parcel
Taken from https://vinazorzalwines.com/en/about-zorzal-wines/
Navarra (Navarre) has long been associated with deeply colored, often inexpensive Garnacha rosado. It has quietly worked to figure itself out in the shadow of its more well-understood and globally recognized neighbor (Rioja), but its history is just as long, dating back to Roman times (not a shocking narrative add for Euro wine). But what’s important to pay attention to is that this region is changing, like so many in Spain, as those with renewed enthusiasm and vision to realize its potential for producing identifiable, regionally specific wine.
This story of Zorzal really begins with Antonio Sanz. Sanz came from a long farming and winemaking tradition in Correla, Navarra — in the southern ‘hook' of Navarra. In 1989, he had a dream, and he called it Bodegas Correlana. He and his own father ran this winery and raised his three sons (Xabier, Inaki, Mikel) in the vineyards and the cellars. After years learning from their father, these three had a few winery dreams of their own. Where their dad had to put all his energy into building a viable business, his children got to take their collective appreciation for quality wine, sustainability viticulture/winemaking, and preservation of indigenous varieties even further. And that’s really the foundation upon which Vina Zorzal was born.
Vina Zorzal has a mission to discover the terroir of Fitero within Navarro by working with a diverse palette of soil types, parcels, old vines, lower yields, and historical grapes — bottling single parcels and single vineyards so as to highlight the uniqueness of Navarra’s character. Navarra is nested within a geologically diverse cross section of elements. To the northwest lies the Pacific Ocean, the northeast it ominous Pyrenees mountains, and within the Ebro River. The climate is continental in many ways accented by overt Mediterranean influences. This makes for 5 distinct sub-zones (of which, Zorzal resides in the most southerly Ribera Baja). Although the DO granted international grapes in the 1980s, there is a wave of producers, like the brothers of Vina Zorzal, who want to reclaim this regions unique identity.
Vina Zorzal is fortunate to work with some of the more compelling sites —the soils they work with around Correla is clay-dominated, but hardly homogenous — gravel, limestone, sand all mingle with it to provide complexly textured soils. This in combination with higher elevation sites allow for great drainage and higher quality wines than those which are more susceptible to erosion in the Ebro Basin (not to mention the mass produced grapes that are cropped high in the flatter Navarra vineyards). They hold 40 hectares (25 of which constitute Garnacha). In general, they farm organically, avoid tilling, utilize native plants for cover crops, and integrate compost in their soils. In the winery, similar story — no racking, modest sulfur, no fining, no filtering, and no additives.
Here is what we have. If it’s been a minute, I urge you to pull some samples and reacquaint the market with these. They are no brainer features, btgs, and end cap grabs. It feels good to support well made wines that actually are affordable!
Vina Zorzal Garnacha Tinto 2020 - The most typical Navarrese Garnacha (a “Comarca histórica” wine), this wine is a cuvee of four different villages: Corella, Cintrúenigo, Fitero and Lerga. Native yeast, no oak, fresh, bright, lovely!
Vina Zorzal Tempranillo 2021 - 35 year old vines from nearby Fitero on clay soils with gravel. Fully destemmed, stainless steel ferment, native yeast. Pure, straight, and energetic!
Vina Zorzal Finca Malayeto Garnacha 2019 - One of their terroir focuses, single vineyard offerings. This gobelet-trained 35 year old Garnacha is from a 2.39 ha stony parcel(with clay and sand beneath) at over 500m in elevation in the village of Fitero. Native yeast fermented in large 3500L neutral barrels, then aged in 300L neutral barrels for 9 months. Then it is transferred to 4500L neutral barrels for 2 additional months.
Vina Zorzal Garnacha Blanca 2019 - An exceptional wine for the money (we hardly have any left!), this Garnacha Blanc saw a few hours skin contact, was lightly pressed, fermented with native yeasts, then aged in 1200L flexitank and 500L neutral barrel on the lees for 6 months.