Garagewine

Garagewine Brujidera

Name: Garagewine Brujidera
Brand: Garagewine
Price: 149.6 CAD
Availability: InStock

$49.86 CAD/btl $149.60 CAD/case $216.50 CAD/case Retail

5 pieces in stock

Notes

In 2022 the “La Guía de Vinos de La Vanguardia," editions 2021 and 2022 won the “Best European Wine Book” award, as part of the renowned World Gourmand Awards 2022, the most prestigious awards ceremony in gastronomy and wines. Every year, over 7,000 books and publications world-wide, from over 100 countries participate in this event.

This Wine Guide, written by Ferran Centelles, Meritxel Falgueras, María José Huertas, Alicia Estrada and Zoltan Nagy — all acclaimed Sommeliers and wine writers — covers the 100 Spanish wines of the year that you cannot miss. In its 2021 edition, the Brujidera 2020 of Garagewine was listed as one of the 17 most interesting red wines of the year.

In the book, the sommeliers wrote the following about this wine:

"This wine expresses sincerity, freshness and purity. Jesús and Julián elaborate this wine with care and precision; no oak and no makeup. It is an easy red with energy and freshness because the Brujidera grape characteristic is its natural acidity, similar to those grapes from much cooler places. Perfect for those of us that are looking for wines with a unique profile or personality that mainly highlights their variety. Light, fresh and fluid. Red fruits, strawberry and prune with very smooth tannins. Fun without complication!"

93 points out of 100.

The Brujidera variety originates in the Iberian Peninsula, and is still very rare. It has been used traditionally in coupages with other varieties. It can only be found in Castilla-La Mancha and areas of Murcia and Valencia, close to La Mancha. It is also found in Portugal in the area of Douro, where it is known as Marufo, Mourisco, or Mourisco du Douro. In Spain there are less than 1.400 hectares cultivated with this variety.

Garagewine's range includes eight varietal wines, all of which are also single-vineyard wines as shown on the labels, these include Brujidera, Tinto Velasco, Airen, Verdoncho, La Autóctona, Garnacha Tintorera, Cencibel, and La Forastera. However, Jesus and Julian have decided to cap their production once they reach 30,000 bottles total, since this project has always been about elevating their local varietals and not about money.

Facts

Annual Production: 2599 bottles (The club has access to 250 annually)
Type: Vino Tinto (red wine)
Body: Medium-Light
Palate: Dry
Finish: Light, long & refreshing
Grape Variety: 100% Brujidera (aka Moravia dulce, aka Crujidera, aka Uva de Rei)
Viticulture / Farming: Traditional bush vines ("en vaso" in Spanish, "gobelet" in French), head pruning and dry farming.
ABV%: 13.5%
Ageing: Only ageing in the bottle
Winemaker: Jesús Toledo
Bodega: #garagewine (Toledo & Ajenjo)
Region: Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha Toledana, Quintanar de la Orden
Designation of Origin (DOP): VT Castilla (IGP Vino de la Tierra)
Micro-Climate: The area of La Mancha Toledana has a dry climate all year round. With maximum temperatures between 33 and 37º C, and minimum temperatures between 0 and -5º C.
Elevation: 630 meters above sea level
Age of Vines: 35 years (Paraje Camino del Pocillo, planted in 1988)
Soil: Clay-loam covered with pebbles

Tips

Drink now or keep for up to 5 years
No need to decant, simply open 5 minutes before consuming
Pairs well with a large variety of dishes, seafood, Italian pasta dishes, sushi and sashimi and other Japanese dishes, Manchego cheese (any goat and sheep milk cheeses), white and poultry meat, Jamón Ibérico, paella and other rice dishes
Ideally served at room temperature, or slightly chilled in the summer

Terroir

The wine region of Castilla-La Mancha is not only the largest in Spain, but also the largest in Europe. The vineyards of Castilla-La Mancha occupy an extension of 459,000 hectares (1,134,200 acres), which equates to almost 49% of Spain's total vineyards. For reference, that would cover a surface area equivalent to 65% of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The Castilla-La Mancha region includes the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo, and there are twenty Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) and one IGP (PGI in English = Protected Geographical Indication).

Castilla-La Mancha occupies the central Iberian plateau, but also includes two important river valleys - most of the Tagus and half of the Guadiana - the corresponding mountain chains north, central and south of these valleys, crossing east to west, and the upper part of the smaller River Jucar on the east.

This extensive geography procures an enormous amount of terroirs, micro-climates and elevations.

Quintanar de la Orden's location is quite central in Castilla-La Mancha, and is in the north-western part of the DOP La Mancha, just about 130 Km south-east of Madrid capital.

La Mancha's extensive viticultural area spans over 154,000 hectares (380,500 acres) of vineyards across 182 municipalities and four provinces, including Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo. To put this into perspective, Australia has just over 146,000 hectares of vineyard in total (2022 data).

In addition to being one of the largest wine regions in Spain, La Mancha also boasts a rich history in winemaking. The practice is believed to have originated in Roman times and was widespread during the Middle Ages. During the time of Moorish rule between the 8th and 15th centuries, the region was referred to as "al-mansha," meaning "parched earth," a nod to its arid countryside.

Garagewine's vineyards are located near and around Quintanar de la Orden, in the province of Toledo. The Brujidera vineyard sits at 629 meters of altitude and grows in clay-loam soils with a good cover of pebbles. The climate is very arid, the summers are short, hot, and mostly clear; the winters are cold and partly cloudy; and it is mostly dry year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 0 °C to 33 °C and is rarely below -5 °C or above 37 °C. Average rainfall of 2 litres per square meter and 2,800 hours of daily sunshine per year.

Vinification & Ageing

The The 35 year-old vines of Brujidera are hand harvested in 15kg crates in the twilight hours of the morning. The grape bunches are hand selected both in the vineyard and a second selection is made at the winery. The grapes are partially de-stemmed and the must macerates with the skins, both, prior to fermentation and also after fermentation. The alcoholic fermentation starts naturally triggered by their own indigenous yeasts and maintained at 25°C for about 10-12 days.

After the post-fermentation maceration it is manually pressed in a vertical press. The wine is then allowed to naturally settle through the malolactic fermentation, before manual bottling on January 16th 2021.

Winemaker

Cousins Jesús Toledo and Julián Ajenjo, are the creators of GarageWine and trailblazers in reviving ancient grape varieties. From these varieties, they create small-batch artisanal wines with a big focus on showing the uniqueness of each grape and their local terroir.

What started as a project in a garage has turned into a life-long mission. Since 2011 Jesús and Julián have recovered various forgotten native grape varieties, such as Brujidera, Verdoncho, Tinto Velasco and Pámpana Blanca, and are now part of a research and recovery program with IVICAM (Instituto de la Vid y del Vino de Castilla-La Mancha — Research Institute of Vines and Wine in Castilla-La Mancha). They are on track to revive other local varieties such as Albilla, Tinto Fragoso, Malvar and Moscatel Serrano.

Now, Jesús and Julián work out of their new micro-winery in Quintanar de la Orden, the small space still feels garage-like. Hand powered grape-presses and concrete fermentation eggs adorn the floor and give it a feeling of an artisan’s workshop; producing rare liquid art. Still, their operation is anything but unsophisticated; they have their own mini-lab to test wine samples which helps them further hone their craft.

Their vineyards are strictly dry-farmed, by choice, and their obsessive care over each vine for such a small yield at the end of the growing season is praiseworthy.

In their own words:

"As a small family winery, our goal is clear: to bring back the local or minority varietals in our region "La Mancha Toledana". We do this by performing microvinifications with minimal intervention and all in a completely handmade manner."

Their micro-winery is humble but all the wines they create in the little space they have are larger than life. Truly garage wines.

Ratings

17/20 Points - Ferran Centelles for Jancis Robinson MW (Jancisrobinson.com)

100% Brujidera (aka Moravia Dulce, aka Marufo) from bush vines planted in 1988. Vineyard located in Quintanar de la Orden (Toledo) at 629 m elevation and on clay-loam soils rick in pebbles. Hand-harvesting with double bunch selection (in the vineyard and again in the winery). Bunches are partially destemmed. Alcoholic fermentation started by indigenous yeasts and maintained at 25 °C. Hand-pressed. The wine is allowed to settle naturally before bottling. Jesús Toledo is the winemaker, working with his cousin Julián Ajenjo. Just 1,861 bottles.

Pale purple colour. A wine that’s all fruit and freshness. Brambly red fruits, strawberry, plum. It is all joviality and very easy to drink, all joy. The palate is light, fresh, fluid, with low charge of tannins. It reminds of the joviality of a beaujolais. So much fun in this uncomplicated wine! To drink without thinking.

93 Points - Guía de Los Vinos de La Vanguardia 2021 (Ferran Centelles, Maritxel Falgueras, María José Huertas, Alicia Estrada & Zoltan Nagy)

(See above Notes for description and tasting)