El Escoces Volante Manda Huevos Cana Andrea

El Escocés Volante is a project in Aragón, the work of Norrel Robertson MW and his family. His wine journey began in Edinburgh three decades ago and led him part-way around the world, to Portugal, Italy, France, Australia, Chile and New Zealand - before settling in Spain in 2003.

Inspired by the terroir and the sheer quality of the Garnacha he found there - this grape became his initial focus and drive, seeking out and retrieving old Garnacha vineyards. This ‘mission’ has extended to other varieties, including an old Macabeo vineyard, planted in 1969.

As well as working closely with a select group of local growers who share his philosophy, Norrel today owns 40 hectares of mainly old vine Garnacha (between 50 and 115 years old) along with other indigenous varieties such as Mazuelo (Carignan), Moristel, Macabeo, Garnacha Gris and Provechón. El Escocés Volante have also undertaken a programme of new plantings - to create the old vines of the future. Their vineyards are based around the towns of Villarroya de la Sierra, Cervera de la Cañada, Torralba, Aniñon and Torrijo de la Cañada, 650 - 1,000 metres above sea level.

El Escocés Volante are members of the Regenerative Viticulture Association in Spain. They have been organic in practice since 2014, and have recently started the certification process. They don't use pesticides, they maintain a cover crop during winter months and create their own biochar from vine cuttings. All of their vineyards are dry grown. In the winery their bottles are 88% recycled glass and they have been moving to lighter-weight versions.

Garnacha, Bobal, Garnacha Blanca

This wine is produced from two vineyard parcels: Caña Andrea arriba - 0.8 hectare, planted in 1908, 80-85% Garnacha Fina with a smattering of some other varieties including Moristel, Bobal and Garnacha Blanca. This plot is north-east facing with gentle slope, 750 metres above sea level, where the soil is a mixture of red clay, pudding stones and limestone. Caña Andrea abajo – 0.7 hectare, planted in 1970, 100% Garnacha Fina. This site has similar soil characteristics, and is 730 metres above sea level, north-facing, and set within a red clay escarpment.

After harvesting the predominantly Garnacha grapes (90%) are crushed - 20% whole bunch - and all varieties are fermented together in an open-topped 5 tonne fermenter with punch downs for gentle extraction. Malolactic fermentation takes place partly on the skins, before they are pressed to a combination of three x 875 litre flextank eggs and one old 650 litre French oak barrel. The wine is aged 14 months sur lie, before assemblage in concrete, then bottling.

This delicious field blend is predominantly old vine Garnacha (but with some additional indigenous varieties) - an expression of two fantastic single-vineyard parcels, separated only by a road.

Delicate, pure and saline with a core of wild raspberry fruit balanced by notes of blue flowers and crushed mountain herbs.

A good match for game and mushroom dishes.

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight on El Escoces Volante Blog

This is a wine I would describe as more “cerebral” than the El Puno. It is a wine that demands patience and some time to get to grips with it, it will present its flavours to you slowly, to its own schedule, not yours. Patience is very much rewarded here as the wine just keeps evolving. Delicate, pure and saline with a core of wild raspberry fruit balanced by notes of blue flowers and crushed mountain herbs.

This wine has the note the French would describe as, “garrigue”, that flavour of the herbs of Provence. For this reason, I would pair it with some lovely forest mushrooms cooked simply with garlic, butter and herbs.