When I lived in Madrid, little did I know that I was living so close to the land of Garnacha? I wish I could have gone back in time and visited the wine region of Aragon. But, unfortunately, since I can’t go back in time, I can only enjoy their staple grape Garnacha from a producer that has intrigued me since I first tried their Tres Picos 2019.
Tres Picos Garnacha is produced by Bodegas Borsao located in the birthplace of this lustrous red grape, Campo de Borja D.O. in Aragon. Let’s explore their values on winemaking and some of their staple wines and recent vintages.
At the core of Bodegas Borsao is its people.
Bodegas Borsao was established in 1958 by a cooperative of regional winegrowers in the northwest province of Zaragoza in Spain’s Aragon area. Despite years of expansion and prosperity for the winery, Borsao has always remembered its commitment to the local community. The winery’s 2,260 hectares of vineyards. They are currently maintained by a network of more than 375 family grape farmers, who are the backbone of the Garnacha heartland and the brand today.
Please see below for some key dates of Borsao’s history in Campo de Borja, “The Empire of Garnacha”:
- 1958 – Cooperative de Borja founded in Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain – the largest producer of Spanish Garnacha in the world
- 1980 – Campo de Borja established as a Denominación de Origen
- 2001 – Winery is rebranded as Borsao with the addition of Pozuelo and Tabuenca cooperatives, representing 36% of the total Campo de Borja D.O. surface area
Premium Spanish Garnacha, which captures the region’s essence, is produced in Borsao by its community of winemakers and is available at all price ranges and quality levels. Over 40% of the grapes in the region are between 30 and 50 years old, and they benefit from the variety of microclimates and soils in the area. The resulting Garnacha from Borsao is highly regarded for its intricate structure and fragrances.
Tres Picos Garnacha
The signature wine of Bodegas Borsao, Tres Picos, is regarded as a standard for the Campo Do Borja style. Tres Picos was the first 100% Garnacha wine to be produced in Spain, and it was named after the three magnificent peaks of the Moncayo Massif in that country’s Aragon area. Strong northwest winds that originate in the Pyrenees are a must for Campo de Borja’s distinctive low-trained vines because they assist in producing a cooling effect that allows the winery’s unique wild fruit scents to come through.
I was pleased to try their Tres Picos 2019 ($20). The wine’s bouquet presents ripe red fruit with flowery undertones. Tres Picos is a well-structured, rich wine with smooth, silky tannins that evokes notes of cherry, plum, and traces of leather and vanilla. Believe me when I say that I am not the only strict palate in my house, but everyone was delighted with the vintage 2019.
Hence was happy to try the 2020 vintage, which is younger but equally attractive. According to Spanish Wine Report, the 2020 vintage has excellent potential and is one of the best vintages of the last five years. Tres Picos 2020 is aromatic and a pronounced red and black stone fruit on the palate with hints of vanilla and chocolate and present yet mellow tannins.
