EL ESCOCÉS VOLANTE | Manga del Brujo | 2018
grenache | syrah | tempranillo | carignan

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Today we are going to review a wine blend from one of Spain’s less famous wine regions, the Calatayud sub-region of Aragón – Manga del Brujo 2018 by El Escocés Volante. This wine is a blend of 70% garnacha vieja (the spanish for old vine grenache), 15% syrah, 10% tempranillo and 5% mazuelo (the local name for carignan), where grenache forms the wine’s main body and structure, syrah adds color depth and black fruit flavours, tempranillo enhances complexity and longevity to the blend, while carignan brings to the forefront those dehydrated red fruits notes that are characteristic to many spanish wines. El Escocés Volante is a wine project by Norrel Robertson MW, who started a family-owned wine business in Aragón, with the aim to produce terroir-expressive wines with a particular focus on the native garnacha grape variety from old bush vines. This wine is born in the Calatayud vineyards, planted on 600-800 meters altitude, on chalk and clay-rich soils, on the slopes of Monte Armantes in the Rivota Valley. Manga del Brujo is an homage to Mohama Rami (architect to Papa Luna), who is considered to be one of the most influential artists in medieval Aragón, leaving an indelible mudéjar character on the spanish landscape in Aragón. But enough theory – that said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium-deep garnet color
clarity: hazy garnet shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & savory
fruit profile: red fruits | dried fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | cranberry | red plum
__dried fruits: dried sour cherry | dried cranberry | dried red plum
fruit character: overripe & dried

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | savory | earthy
__spice: red pepper | thyme | rosemary | dried herbs
__oak: sun-dried oakwood
__savory: iron | veal | old leather | capocollo | brown olive | soy sauce
__earthy: loam | marl | clay
primary layer: savory-earthy

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: seedy
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol
body: plump | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits & dried fruits
fruit character: overripe & dried
non fruit: savory & herbs
finish: medium
aftertaste: seedy-crisp

//Scoring
EL ESCOCÉS VOLANTE | Manga del Brujo | 2018
variety: grenache | syrah | tempranillo | carignan
country: Spain
region: Aragón | Calatayud
rating: 92.1

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink today or within a year
verdict: fine | highly recommended

//RP rating: 90-91
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This is definitely a fine wine of Spain and, with a total of 92.1 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a very rich, seedy and slightly rough and unpolished wine blend, with a plump palate and a savory-earthy accent on the nose. The wine is right there, at the peak of its form, therefore we would recommend to drink it sooner rather than later, as we firmly believe that it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of overripe and dried red fruits in the foreground, followed by a very nuanced, savory-earthy background and a subtle, spicy layer in between the two. On the palate the wine delivers crisp acidity, seedy tannins and an overwhelming touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which evolves into a slightly angular, seedy-crisp aftertaste. All in all, this is a quite ample and voluptuous wine, that in its current state lacks harmony and finesse on the palate. Judging by the wine’s structure and its flavour profile, we believe it will pair lovely with any cherry sauce-based steaks or some duck breast. Cheers!

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.