Reds
Young reds and Oaked reds
Garnacha or Tempranillo (and Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon to a lesser extent) are used to make wines with a lovely scarlet purple colour. On the nose these wines are brimming with notes of liquorice and delicious wild berries, black and red berry fruit (e.g. blackcurrants and blacnberries, strawberries and raspberries ). As far as the oaked reds are concerned, they spend a minimum of three months in oak barrel wich affords them a flavourful structure. Sweet and lively in the mouth, these wines are the perfect companion of appetizers comprising cured meats, pâtés, local cheeses and even dishes of salt cod cooked in sauce.
Crianza reds
Under the Denomination of Origin regulations, these wines cannot be lanched onto the market until a minimum period of two years has elapsed, counted from December of the wine harvest year, including one year´s maturation in barrel. Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the predominant varieties used to make these wines characterised by a selective ageing process which gives them a beautiful cherry colour with soft, red brick hues. On the nose, the fruity character of these wines is pungent, mixed with fine notes of oak and vanilla. They are powerful and flavoursome in the mouth. These wines are matched with char-grilled meat, roasts, casseroles and cured cheeses.
Reserva reds and "Icon" wines
These reds are the aristocracy of today´s Navarran wines. They are sourced from nothing but the best vintages and grapes selected from the best estates. The same varieties as for Crianza are used for these wines, with Graciano often included as well. Reserva wines are at least three years old (including at least one year in the barrel) whilst the Gran Reserva wines are at least five years old (with at least eighteen months in the barrel). The wines are a lovely cherry red - ruby colour with soft brick-red hues, clean and brilliant. Complex on the nose, with rich in spicy nuances, these wines have a good balance of wood and a long-lasting fruit in the background. On the palate they are polished yet full-bodied and meaty. Not content to rest on its laurels, this dynamic Navarran Denomination of Origin has gone on to develop a wide selection of top-of-the-range, premium wines which, in working terms, are known as the "Icon" or "High Expression wines": fruity, concentrated, expressive and excitingly complex. All these wines are clearly the stars of the table, as an accompaniment to game dishes and to other gastronomic delights.