2018 Esteban Martin Garnacha - Syrah Carinena DOP Spain 750 ml

Rocky soils, old vines, a warm climate, and powerful Grenache-Syrah blends... we're talking about the Rhône, right?

Not quite.

No, today's wine hails from Cariñena, a region in Spain that's like the Rhône on steroids, with even rockier soils, hotter days, and a summer so dry that the first rains of the fall can cause flash floods—in other words, a perfect area to grow Garnacha (AKA Grenache) and Syrah to their intense, powerful conclusions. 

Best of all: The region flies under the radar of all but the most serious Spanish wine drinkers, but is on the verge of making a serious debut on the international stage. Like in Priorat two decades ago, there is a world of potential in Cariñena—and the pricing hasn’t caught up. 

For now, that means the top examples are outstanding values, like Esteban Martin's 92-point Garnacha-Syrah blend, which we're able to offer today for just $15 per bottle.

Don't let the price tag on this wine fool you, though—there aren't any shortcuts taken at Esteban Martin. They work exclusively with estate vineyards, giving them maximum control over farming from pruning to harvest—all with an obsessive eye on the quality of their grapes. Once those grapes hit the winery, they’re lavished with fermentation in temperature-controlled fermenters and a barrel regimen that features modest use of new French oak to preserve fruit and provide structure. It’s first-class, all the way to the bottle.

Esteban Martin’s estate vineyards are dotted with old, gnarled vines that dig deep into the stony soils, pulling nutrients, moisture, and flavors from deep from the earth, while the hot sun and cool nights create thick skins on the grapes, leading to powerful flavors in the wine. Cariñena is thought to be the home of Garnacha (or Grenache), which was exported to the Rhône in the 15th century, and that grape provides this wine’s rich fruit and a silky texture, while a dash of Syrah contributes meaty, peppery flavors and the structure to pair with anything off the grill.

When we tasted it, we could've easily mistaken this for a powerful wine from the Southern Rhône. Pouring a deep purple-ruby, the nose is explosive with black cherries and cracked Malabar pepper, and gilded by touches of floral and meaty nuance. The palate is powerful but silky, with lots of rich fruit and a distinct bacon edge, all wrapped up with hints of rosemary and more of that exotic pepper. What should have been a few tastes quickly turned into a glass—the wine radiated deliciousness.

We don't know how long Cariñena is going to stay radically undervalued, or how long it'll be until we sell out of Esteban Martin's superlative example—but in both cases you shouldn't take your time in stocking up.