Recerca lies in the Corbières Catalanes in south-west France. Jess Albero and Laurent Pujol farm a total of 7 hectares, with plots in Vingrau and Paziols, producing well-balanced wines made with a light touch. Recerca is the sister project of Zulu wines, a négoce venture initiated in 2015 by Chris Albero with the vision to make wines with purchased grapes in winemaker friends’ cellars. Chris tragically passed away a year later and his wife, Jess, continued the project with Laurent’s support. Recerca (the Catalan word for research) produces a range of wines made using grapes from Jess and Laurent’s vineyards, while Zulu continues as a free, experimental project. The landscape in this part of Roussillon is very dry, with scrubland and wild olive trees punctuated by bare rock. The vines themselves range from approximately 6 - 70 years and include Macabeu, Muscat Petits Grains, Muscat of Alexandria, Mourvedre and three types of Grenache — growing on mainly calcareous clay and schist.
Garnatxa (the Catalan word for Grenache) is made from 100% Grenache Noir. The grapes were harvested in the third week of August 2022 and the whole bunches were crushed underfoot. After 5 days of maceration the grapes were pressed before ageing for 9 months in fiberglass. This is a great example of a southern european Grenache, with medium and balanced tannins. Sour cherry meets black olives, with a light herbal touch of fresh thyme. Enjoy at around 14°.