El Escocés Volante Garnacha Gris 2024 White

Norrel Robertson MW recounts that in Calatayud (Aragón), Garnacha Gris is known as the “grape of the dead” because of its pale pink-grey colour, reminiscent of the pallor of death. This story alone is enough to capture the imagination of any forward-thinking winemaker.

Garnacha Gris is a colour mutation of Garnacha Tinta, sitting somewhere between white and red, much like Cariñena Gris, Xarel·lo Vermell or Malvasía Rosada. These varieties remain marginal in Spanish vineyards and have long been overlooked. In Calatayud, for instance, Garnacha Gris was not included among the authorised varieties when the DO was established in 1989. In Empordà, Cariñena Gris was only approved as recently as 2024.

According to Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, just over 125 hectares of Garnacha Gris are grown in Spain. Catalonia, where it is known as Garnacha Roya, accounts for the vast majority, with 99 hectares, followed by Castilla y León with 27 hectares and Aragon with just three.

Robertson’s vineyard was planted in 2021. Using plant material sourced from Girona and the Vitis Navarra nursery, he planted just under one hectare on the El Bautista plot in Villarroya de la Sierra (Zaragoza), at 920 metres elevation. This is therefore the first vintage to be released.

The grapes were whole-bunch pressed in January, after which the wine was fermented and aged in 500-litre French oak barrels for 11 months. The result is a golden-hued white wine with generous stone fruit aromas, notes of orange peel and a touch of toast. It shows excellent acidity, steering clear of the rounded, often opulent character of Garnacha Blanca. It is a wine to watch.

The presentation is also distinctive: a lightweight, Burgundy-style bottle with red-tinted glass, quite unusual in Spain. The variety and elevation of the vineyard are clearly displayed on the label, which also features a discreet skull as a nod to the “grape of the dead.”

13.5% abv.
3,336 bottles
€27 
Score: 93