Wine of the week

A surprising, fresh and modern Garnacha made in the La Axarquía region of Málaga.

Ingénito 2021 (Bodega Fabio Coullet)

D.O. Sierras de Málaga

Variety: 100% Garnacha

ABV: 13%

€24,00 direct from Bodega Fabio Coullet

€23,20 from Decántalo

Let’s get straight to the point: this is one of the finest expressions of Garnacha from the far south of Spain. Málaga might not be the most obvious area for this variety, but Fabio Coullet has crafted a fresh, delicate, mediterranean wine in the steep hillsides of the rugged Axarquía region.

An agronomist from Argentina, Fabio started this project in the village of Almáchar in 2020.

The surrounding hills have gradients of up to 70%, so all harvesting is done by hand, assisted by mules. Check out the image of a mule on the labels of the bodega’s wines.

Fabio steers clear of the use of herbicides and works with a philosophy of minimal intervention in the bodega.

Introducing Garanacha was somewhat unusual in an area mainly dominated by Moscatel de Alejandría vines. The elevation of 300 to 350 metres helps keep the fruit fresh, despite the dry terrain and long, hot summers.

For the Ingénito the grapes undergo maceration with skins and 30% of the stems, followed by fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation then unfolds in 225-litre French oak barrels, followed by at least four months of ageing in the same vessels.

Perfumed with aromas of strawberry, violets and herbs, it’s light, balanced and fluid on the palate with fine tannins, persistence and an underlying suggestion of the slate schists of the vineyard. The oak ageing imparts some roundness without ever being an unwelcome presence.

With this wine, Fabio Coullet shows that Garnacha can, with careful handling, adapt well to different terroirs.

If you enjoy the paler, more ethereal Garnachas of the Gredos, give this a go.