# Azul y Garanza Tempranillo (2024)

- **Producer:** Bodegas Azul y Garanza
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Tempranillo
- **Region:** Navarra, Spain
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €14
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 13–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, strawberry, black pepper, cedar

## About this wine

Bodegas Azul y Garanza was founded by winemakers Dani Sánchez Nogué, María Barrena, and Fernando Barrena, who revitalized an old local wine cooperative in Carcastillo, Navarra. Located right on the border of the Bardenas Reales Natural Park—Europe's largest desert and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve—the estate practices certified organic and regenerative viticulture. The unique microclimate features dramatic day-to-night temperature swings, allowing native grape varieties like Tempranillo to thrive in desert conditions while maintaining vibrant freshness.

## Interesting facts

- Bottled in a signature 1.0-liter format, providing 33% more volume than standard wine bottles.
- Vineyards border the Bardenas Reales, Europe's largest desert and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
- Aged entirely in concrete tanks without any oak barrel usage to preserve fresh fruit character.

## Food pairing

The energetic acidity and smooth, fine-grained tannins of this unoaked Tempranillo make it exceptionally food-friendly. Fresh red fruit profiles harmonate effortlessly with Spanish cured meats, pork, and lamb dishes, while the light structure aligns beautifully with tomato-based sauces and braised rustic vegetables.

## Wine making process

Grapes are hand-harvested from the estate's Murillo and Santa Cara vineyards, characterized by poor, shallow clay-calcareous soils at 400 meters elevation. The winemaking follows a minimal-intervention approach using spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats. Maceration lasts for 10 days, followed by brief aging entirely in concrete tanks. The wine receives zero oak contact to retain pure fruit dynamics and authentic soil expression, and is bottled with minimal sulfites.