Joan Anguera, Montsant, Argata 2020 - 75cl
L'Argatà is single-vineyard Garnacha, not the Grenache-Carignan blend Montsant is usually pinned to — the grapes come off sandy-soiled vines past their half-century, farmed organically and biodynamically by a family that has worked this corner of Catalonia since 1820. Joan d'Anguera sit at Darmós, on the outer ring that all but wraps around Priorat, and they were among the first here to take Montsant seriously as a fine-wine address.
The 2020 was a warm year, but mildew kept yields honest and the wine carries real freshness rather than sunburn. Whole bunches ferment on wild yeast for around three weeks, then the wine rests in old, neutral oak — nothing here is dressed up.
Expect something wild on the nose: dried strawberry and cranberry, cured meat, white pepper, a lick of violet and hedgerow. The palate is savoury and lean-framed, more smoked ham and dried fruit than jammy sweetness, with chalky tannins that grip and a finish that turns almost briny. It tightens as it goes, mouth-watering rather than heavy. This is Garnacha for people who find most Garnacha too soft.
Pour it when you want a red with a pulse — a long autumn dinner, a table of people who actually taste what's in the glass.
How to Serve
Serve at 16-18°C in a Burgundy-style bowl to let the aromatics spread. Decant for 45 minutes to an hour; the tannins are firm and reward a little air. Drinking well now, with a few years in hand.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot in Lamb's Conduit Street, for a wine list that rewards the curious. Brat in Shoreditch, where the open fire suits its savoury edge. Planque in Haggerston, if you want it among like-minded bottles.
Food Pairings
Lamb chops off the grill, charred at the edges, are the obvious call. Failing that, a plate of jamón and aged Manchego lets those cured-meat notes echo.
