El Escocés Volante Mataquemada 2022 is a single-vineyard Garnacha-led red from Calatayud in Aragón, made by “El Escocés Volante” (“The Flying Scotsman”), a boutique project known for high-altitude, old-vine Garnacha. The fruit comes from Torrijo de la Cañada, a cooler, marginal and comparatively wetter corner of the zone, with the key parcel sitting at around 950 meters on slate soils. According to Luis Gutiérrez (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate), the vineyard is a field blend: “90% Garnacha with some Bobal and Garnacha Blanca.”

This is also a tightly produced wine. Wine Advocate reports “1,483 bottles produced,” bottled in June 2023, with 13.8% alcohol, pH 3.33 and “six grams of acidity,” a set of numbers that aligns with the wine’s fresh, contained feel in multiple tastings.

The winemaking emphasizes lift and detail rather than sheer weight. Gutiérrez notes fermentation “with 40% whole bunches” and maturation “in two Flextank eggs for 18 months.” Vinous echoes the stem inclusion, describing it as “fermented with about 40% whole clusters,” while James Suckling reports “33% whole bunch” and calls the parcel “tiny 0.95-hectare,” “planted in 1970.”

Critically, Mataquemada 2022 is outstanding across the board. Vinous awards an excellent 97 points, calling it “refined and energetic” and praising how it captures Calatayud Garnacha “with clarity and precision.” Wine Advocate also gives an excellent 96, highlighting a “pale, elegant and delicate” profile with herbs, “Asian spices,” and “stony austerity of the slate soils,” concluding it is “every bit as good.” Suckling matches that 96, describing it as “floral and nervy,” “deeply saline and persistent,” and “very chewy, but delivered with precision.” Drink now or hold, as Suckling advises.