Five good unique wines made with granite (you read that right) | Drink | Gastronomy

Granite, an ancient and noble material, is regaining prominence in the world of wine, offering new possibilities for the expression of wine. terroir and the creation of unique wines. Already in ancient times, civilizations such as the Romans and the Egyptians used granite vessels to ferment and store their wines. This ancient tradition has experienced a resurgence in recent years thanks to innovative winemakers who seek to enhance the expression of the terroir and the personality of their wines. But how much of it is about oenological reasons and how much about commercial arguments, a hook to seduce a consumer eager for novelties that contribute something different and surprising to the pleasant experience? The reality is that there is a little bit of everything.

Granite, a noble stone that, in Galicia, supports mansions, arbors and winepresses, is having an unexpected role in winemaking. In 2018, the Ánforum company began to market ovoid granite tanks that they surprisingly called stone barrels. A return to the wine roots that incorporates modern manufacturing techniques, which includes not only the now common egg shape, which favors the natural circulation of the wine and keeps the lees in suspension, but also new technologies to achieve its peculiar hollow stone structure. . The new fashion is already spreading through numerous areas and Denominations of Origin such as Rías Baixas, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Ribeira Sacra, Toro, Jerez, etc.

Deposits of granite, an igneous plutonic rock formed essentially by feldspar, quartz, mica and amphibole minerals in different proportions, have differences, as occurs with oak, depending on their origin, the location of the piece in the deposit, or the thickness and the vein of rock with which they are built. All this influences its oenological behavior. Their different shapes (ovoid, rectangular, open) allow several options in wine production in addition to traditional fermentation, such as macerations and, above all, aging on lees, which makes them particularly suitable for white wines when the aim is to respect and accentuate the imprint of the terroir and the organoleptic profile of the variety. Its porosity, similar to that of wood, allows for constant and controlled micro-oxygenation of the wine, which favors color stabilization, the integration of tannins and the development of more complex aromas, but without the impact of oak. On the other hand, granite maintains the temperature quite stable, without sudden oscillations, which is crucial during the fermentation and aging of the wine, in addition to providing saline nuances of the rock, which some call minerals.

On the other hand, granite tanks are significantly more expensive than stainless steel or cement tanks as they do not have a wide availability of the appropriate stone and are more difficult to handle by the manufacturer. Pros and cons that the consumer will ultimately evaluate based on the results. These five wines show that the quality can be high, the experience pleasant, but the cost high, with some happy exceptions.

TORRE PENELAS WHITE GRANITE 2020

PEDRANAI 2021

ÀNIMA DE L’AVI ARRUFÍ 2023

PEÑA EL GATO GRANITE 2022

ADEGA VELLA MATER GRANITE 2022

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