Bodegas Frontonio, Valdejalon, El Jardin de Las Iguales Garnacha 2021 - 300cl
El Jardin de las Iguales is Bodegas Frontonio's flagship — a single old-vine plot in Valdejalon, high in the hills west of Zaragoza, farmed by Fernando Mora MW and his partners. The vines are bush-trained Garnacha grown on sand over slate at altitude, and the wine sets out to prove that Aragon Garnacha can be fine rather than merely powerful.
It succeeds. The 2021 is all lift and detail: wild raspberry and redcurrant, a lick of dried herb and mountain scrub, violets, and the mineral, almost saline edge that high sandy sites give. Whole-bunch fermentation and ageing in old wood keep the fruit bright and the tannins silky — a world away from the jammy Garnacha stereotype. This is the three-litre double magnum, a format built for a long lunch and slow cellaring.
How to Serve
Serve at 15–16°C in a large-bowled glass. A short decant helps a big bottle wake up, and the wine only gets prettier over the following hour.
Where to Drink It
Brat in Shoreditch for the wood-fired cooking. Planque in Haggerston for the cellar. Dandy on Maltby Street for a low-key feast around the format.
Food Pairings
Lamb off the coals is the natural partner — the herbal side echoes rosemary and thyme. Grilled red peppers, good jamon, or a rice cooked with rabbit would all do it justice.
