Mahara 2014 12.5%, Bodega Vinifícate

Appearance

Dense black cherry with a reddy-pink rim, legs.

Nose

Most attractive mix of very ripe yet fresh bramble and plum. There is a trace of background minerality and bitterness, true to the grape, and perhaps a balsamic note but very little oak, so presumably it had seen a few vintages, but the wine itself shines through, without need of adornment, with its powerful black fruit.

Palate

Big, ripe and well structured yet the tannins are good and ripe. There is a lovely glyceric plumpness about it and a certain rustic (in the very best sense of the word) charm. There is plenty of very slightly tight tangy black fruit and a slightly mineral texture, and a long clean finish. You have the effect of the oak without the flavour of the oak. Very good wine with character.

Comments

This is a very friendly, warm-hearted wine whose name translates as “nuts” or “crazy”. It is made by the brothers José and Miguel Gómez Lucas whose plan is to make reds from grapes indigenous to Cádiz so the wines really express their origin. Their friends thought they were nuts to start making wine in 2011 during the economic crisis, hence the name. But they had travelled and studied wine making in other countries and knew what they were doing. As proof, this wine was awarded 92 Parker points.

Mahara is 100% Tintilla, being the only indigenous red grape available in any quantity, as the other varieties are still being recuperated after phylloxera all but wiped them out,( but they do make a second wine, Amorro, which is 50/50 Tintilla and Tempranillo). The Tintilla comes from the Calderín del Obispo vineyard in the pago Balbaína where the soil is pure albariza.

Vinification, which is done in San Fernando, is totally artisan. They tread the grapes and use natural local yeasts, leaving the stems in for fermentation, which takes place in PVC tanks. The wine was aged for seven months, half in both French oak barricas and tinajas and the other half remaining in the PVC tanks. It was bottled unfiltered. However deserving, the wine has no DO. It is sealed with a driven cork and wax capsule.

Price

18.95 euros from Licores Corredera