2016 Domaines Lupier Garnacha Old Vines El Terroir Navarra 750 ml

If Domaines Lupier were in Châteauneuf, this wine would easily be $75.

After all, this top-vintage bottle earned a 95-point score from the tough-scoring Wine Advocate—same as some of our favorite ‘16 Châteauneufs. It’s been cellared to drink-now perfection, and comes from organically farmed Grenache vines planted up to 110 years ago.

But Domaines Lupier is one of the reference point producers in Navarra, which is more than THE source for profound old-vine Garnacha value in Spain—it’s one of the best-kept secrets in wine. That’s why it’s one of the savviest cellar picks out there. 

Blessed with old vines, a long growing season thanks to its proximity to the Bay of Biscay, and fantastic geology, Navarra nevertheless lives in the shadow of neighboring Rioja. That’s because the main grape here is Garnacha (Grenache)—the primary grape of the Southern Rhône—and not Iberia’s beloved Tempranillo.

Domaines Lupier has been part of the vanguard or producers who saw the region’s untapped potential. Founded by Enrique Basarte and Elisa Ucar—both natives of the region—in 2008, the original goal for the project was to demonstrate the quality potential of the area and save the priceless old vines. Those plants were in danger of being replanted to younger, higher-yielding vines.

By 2016, the stunning vintage that produced this fantastic bottle, their winery had grown to a modest 17 hectares in size—but was spread between 27 different parcels, all old vineyards that Enrique and Elisa helped save. The collection of vineyards is so impressive that legendary winemaker Raúl Pérez actually bought the estate from the couple a few years after this was bottled.