Author: Dirk Chan
Our online feature this week is the Laventura Wines La Nave Tinto (Rioja, Spain) – $20.99 , regularly $25.99.
Laventura (literally “The Adventure”) is the brain child of Bryan MacRobert, a young South African who, after falling in love with Campo Viejo’s winemaker Clara Canals, settled down in Rioja to produce his own wines in the area. His motto is the Spanish proverb “Quien no se aventura no ha ventura” (“nothing ventured, nothing gained”). He launched his own Rioja wine with the 2013 vintage with grapes bought from different winegrowers. The wines were made in rented facilities in Rioja Baja but a small winery is under construction now in Logroño. His work for Eben Sadie, a leading wine producer in Swartland in South Africa has brought his name into the forefront.
Our feature this week is his La Nave Tinto, a smooth red wine with aromas of cherry, strawberry and blackberry fruit and spicy notes from a small vineyard. On the palate it is light, fresh and balanced. An easy-drinking wine with smooth tannins, marked acidity and a long and persistent finish. 40% Garnacha Tinta (Black Grenache), 30% Mazuela, 30% Tempranillo. Pair with grilled red meats or a hearty stew.
Laventura Wines La Nave Tinto (Rioja, Spain) – $20.99 , regularly $25.99