Le Naturel Lakar 2020
The forgotten essence of the Navarran vineyard
Vineyard
Small vineyard of 0.8 hectares, located in Lakar, in the Yerri Valley. Planted in 1920 at an altitude of 440 meters on a calcareous clay soil with good depth and facing northeast. The estate has a steep slope, containing areas with up to a 30% gradient, where olive, fig, and other fruit trees coexist. Organic cultivation is practiced in a way that respects the rhythms of nature. The plantation frame is an old planting frame with great density, measuring 1.5 x 1.5m and requiring any work done to be manual.
Harvest
Manual harvest on September 25.
Winemaking
Short, static maceration (around 9 days), with the minimum possible intervention. Some light over-pumping takes place to refresh the cap. Manual devatting, very light pressing. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in a small concrete tank.
Varieties
Mostly Garnacha with the occasional vine of other red and white varieties (less than 5%).
Alcohol content
14,5 % ABV.
Tasting notes
Colour
Deep cherry red , great depth of color, and very lively. Surprising for its great intensity, uncommon in the Garnacha variety, which usually offers lighter colors. It has also great luminosity in the glass, with dense tears appearing when swirling.
Nose
An initial explosion of red fruits, which evolve towards more mature notes of black fruit. Lactic tones from malolactic fermentation are also noticeable. The untoasted oak lends notes of cream, chocolate, and vanilla. Finally, fresh nuances of scrubland and aromatic flora are experienced thanks to the Lakar vineyard’s integration into its environment. As a result, the nose is very mineral and extremely complex, capable of reflecting a plethora of nuances that show the essence and diversity of a magical enclave.Palate: Fresh and fruity attack that comes from the high-altitude vineyards. It has a fresh and lovely tartness, pleasantly balanced acidity and delightful aftertaste.
Palate
Stands out for its enveloping character and its highly-pleasing attack, innate attributes of the Garnacha variety. It exhibits a high degree of density and structure, due to the harsh conditions of its cultivation and the age of the vineyard, which create very modest vigor in the plant. These are extremely limited productions, but are grapes that capture the spirit of a heroic vineyard. It has an exquisite acidity that balances and accompanies the wine’s exceptional structure throughout its passage in the mouth, displaying the typical freshness of Garnacha. It is a wine with a very high capacity for aging and, like the vineyard it comes from, exudes balance and depth.
95 points and Gold Medal
Decanter World Wine Awards 2022. 2020 vintage.
