When Abel and Maite first started working with Graciano, they were unsure
as to how it would perform on its own, as it is very different to Tempranillo
with higher pH and acidity. Over time, they learned that Graciano needs to
be handled differently in the vineyard. It performs best in higher altitude
plots and needs more hang-time to ripen fully. It is also very sensitive to
sulfur use in the vineyards and is usually picked last due to its long ripening
time.

Similar to their white varieties, most of the Graciano vines are interplanted
among other varieties throughout their vineyards. Only one small plot
is dedicated to Graciano, and this was planted by Abel through cuttings
he grafted from the older plots. Altogether they farm around 8 plots with
Graciano, the oldest of which is more than 70 years old.

2003 was the birth year of both the Tempranillo Grano a Grano and the
Graciano Grano a Grano. “Grano a Grano” literally means “Grape by
Grape”. Each cluster of fruit is destemmed by hand. The idea is to separate
the stems from the fruit and not to break the berries at all. During harvest,
they invite some friends over and start destemming.

The aim is to get the fruitiness they get in the carbonic maceration Jarrarte
into a more serious wine. Fermentation starts inside the berries and then the
fruit is stomped by foot. The wine is made in small tanks of no more than
1,200 kgs. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine is placed into a mix of new
225 and 500 liter French oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation takes place in
the barrel and the wine aged for 18 months before being bottled.

There are only 1,700 bottles of this Graciano bottling, sorted berry by berry
in the winery. The fruit comes from five plots throughout San Vicente,
Ábalos and Labastida. Showing the grip, acidity and firm tannins that define
the variety, it’s chewy, serious and made to age, with tobacco, earth and
damson intensity.

13.5% ABV