Garnacha Tintorera (aka Alicante Bouschet)

Garnacha Tintorera, aka Alicante Bouschet is a wine grape variety that has been widely cultivated since 1866. It is a cross of Petit Bouschet (itself a cross of the very old variety Teinturier du Cher and Aramon) and Grenache. Garnacha Tintorera is a teinturier, a grape with red flesh. It is one of the few teinturier grapes that belong to the Vitis vinifera species. Its deep colour makes it useful for blending with light red wine. Recognized by many today as a noble red variety (particularly in southern Iberia), Garnacha Tintorera is known for its deep dark colour, more than 15 times the colour of Aramon and twice the darkness of the Grand Noir de la Calmette. In Spain Garnacha Tintorera is the fifth most planted red grape variety in with 22,572 ha (55,776 acres) grown in 2015. It is frequently expensive, surpassing the quality and personality of other noble varieties. These top-end wines are prized for their ‘size’, dense colour and phenolic content.