Could traditional Navarran rosés find a new role as an alternative to the lighter, fresher reds increasingly sought by wine drinkers? Alma de Unx Rosado 2025 makes a convincing case, combining fruit, savoury appeal and character while retaining the distinctive colour of Navarra’s rosados.
The wine was one of the highlights of our tasting at Navarra on Tour, the DO Navarra’s roadshow taking its wines to cities across Spain for trade professionals and wine enthusiasts. Although this may not be its stated aim, the campaign also helps put a paradox in the sector into perspective. According to the 2025 World Rosé Observatory, global consumption reached 18.5 million hectolitres, yet Spain accounted for just 3% of the volume consumed, despite being the world’s second-largest rosé producer, with 21% of global production (much of it sold in bulk), and its leading exporter.
Against this backdrop, Bodegas San Martín deserves attention. This century-old cooperative is based in San Martín de Unx, in Navarra’s Baja Montaña subregion. In a village deeply rooted in viticulture, the winery remains an important economic force and plays an active part in championing local identity, alongside the rest of the producers that form part of the dynamic Asociación de Bodegas de San Martín de Unx. The cooperative’s members farm around 600 hectares of vines, spread across a variety of sites and growing conditions.
The cooperative has structured its range to reflect these differences. Alma de Unx includes wines made from dry-farmed vineyards at the foot of the hills and on the slopes and terraces around the village. As commercial director Carlos Larrory explains, the aim is to champion “the territory, the landscape and a fair price for the grapes”. The range comprises a Garnacha Blanca white, a red and a rosé, the latter two made from Garnacha Tinta. All three come in Burgundy-style bottles and cost around €8–9.50.
Alma de Unx Rosado 2025 comes from several vineyards aged between 30 and 35 years. It has the characteristic raspberry-pink colour of many Navarra rosados, with strawberry and woodland berries leading on the nose. The palate is juicy and fresh, with an appealing bitter note on the finish. Three months of ageing in barrel on the lees add a toasted undertone without taking the focus away from the vibrancy of the fruit.
This is a wine that makes no attempt to imitate pale Provençal-style rosés or disguise its origins. Indeed, its label features an old harvest photograph in which much of the village’s population appears. The appeal lies precisely in its combination of red fruit, freshness and a little weight, making it an honest, easy-drinking rosé with a distinctive sense of place in San Martín de Unx.
13,5% vol.
€8.20
12.000 bottles
Score: 91
Author
Yolanda Ortiz de Arri
A journalist with over 25 years' experience in national and international media. WSET3, wine educator and translator
