A blend of two-thirds Garnacha (Grenache) to a third of Carinena (Carignan), the Flor d’Englora Roure highlights how remarkable modern Spanish wines can be. It is more remarkable that this bottle is priced under $15. Grenache is not a wine that plays well with too much oak (it can oxidize), and the limited use of oak in this bottling is near perfect.
Glass staining and inky black, the Flor d’Englora Roure is full-bodied and richly flavored. Aromas of toast, campfire, and coriander rise from the glass with a thread of licorice. Tobacco and mocha on the palate with rich deep fruit flavors, plum, and dark cherry. What raises this bottle from just being delicious to being superb is its profound meaty quality intertwined with a complex mineral element.
Cellers Baronia was founded in 1998 by partners Carlos Macías Gallego and winemaker Xavier Canals. Like many things in northern Spain, the winery is a juxtaposition of the old and the new. It is a wholly modern winery that produces cutting-edge wines. At the same time, it’s based in an ancient wine region, Monstant, and most of its wine is sourced from ancient vineyards, with most vines dating back eighty years. Production is minimal, about 80,000 bottles.
About Grenache
Grenache is grown in southern France, where it is partly responsible for the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel, and many others. It is the mainstay of Rioja, makes port-style and light rosé wines in California, and is also grown in South Africa. Its wines are rich, warm, and alcoholic, sometimes too much so, and require blending with other varieties.
The true Grenache has nothing to do with the Grenache de Logroño of Spain, which is, in fact, the Tempranillo or Tinto de Rioja. Some sources say the Alicante (a synonym of the Grenache) is the Alicante Bouschet (or plain Bouschet in California), but this too is misleading. Check out more of our Grenache wine ratings.