A big old juicy Garnacha is on the menu tonight: The Tres Picos Garnacha from Bodegas Borsao.
Borsao is a large co-op in Campo de Borja DO, a landscape of arid hills and plateaus nicknamed “the Empire of Garnacha.” Over 700 small grower families have united to produce these wines, which are known for their consistency and reasonable prices.
Borsao’s Tres Picos is one of my go-to mid-shelf reds. It’s actually the second or third time I’ve opened a bottle this year.
I kept meaning to review it. It’s just that, well…I’m usually too busy stuffing my face with tacos or kebabs to take a tasting note on it.
It’s a dazzling bright ruby in the glass–saturated and gem-like. Pronounced aromas of red cherry, jellied cherries, and beef gelatin on the first sniff. A few moments in the glass reveals a sweet-and-savory bouquet of blackberry, raw meat (iron), vanilla, red plum, beef jerky, and black pepper.
This assertive Spanish red drinks like a meal all by itself, its perfumed mixed fruits meeting a dry, full-bodied mouthful. Medium-plus acidity with medium tannins and a bright, cherry-spice finish.
The 2021 is still tasting very youthful as of this writing, showing remarkable freshness but not much depth. (Or length. For all its confident overtures, it finishes rather abruptly.) I tasted the 2019 recently and liked it even better. Try drinking the 2021 in a couple more years–say, in 2027 or 2028–to enjoy flavors of pemmican, leather, and toasted tobacco leaf.
Borsao’s Tres Picos is 100% Garnacha from old vines (35 to 60 years) in Campo de Borja. Altitude from the mountains boosts acidity, and concentrated berry flavors elevate this casual wine to a thing of more-than-ordinary beauty and power. Aged 5 months in new French oak barriques.
Footnote: Garnacha, a BYOB’s BFF
That’s the bottle review! Now, for one DFW-specific gripe + local rec.
I really, really love to drink Garnacha (and Grenache-based blends) with meals. They’re so agreeable with all kinds of food, cost little, and won’t blow out the palates of everyone at the table the way some of the more tannic reds can.
However, they’re usually not on the menu. With the exception of a stray Guigal Côtes du Rhône here and there, there aren’t a lot of restaurants that serve Rhône or Spanish reds by the glass or even by the bottle.
That leaves BYOB as the best option for Grenache-heads. But as Dallas Wine Chick has previously reported, Dallas has far fewer places to bring your own wine than other big cities. This is mostly due to regulatory and cost issues, and it sucks. A 2024 Dallas Morning News story found just seven BYOB-friendly restaurants to recommend across the entire Metroplex. (Approximately one BYOB per million residents, if we’re doing the math.)
Now, here is the local tip: The best BYOB place I know of is Platia Greek Kouzina in Frisco. The menu is inexpensive, they make delicious homestyle Greek food (including pastries and desserts), and they charge a reasonable corkage fee of $4.75. Their weekend lamb shank special is epic. They also do not take reservations and are always busy–meaning that you will likely either have to wait an hour to be seated, or else arrive at 5 PM on a Monday clutching your bottle of Tres Picos.
All this is to say, our remaining few BYOBs are a precious community resource that must be shared and nurtured. So, please: Enjoy a fantastic meal at Platia with the wine of your choice. However, if you show up with a 1.5-liter bottle of Caymus and linger for two hours over a single plate of saganaki with eight of your closest friends and their three strollers, I will throw a cork at you.
Bottle: Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha (2021) – Spain
Variety: Garnacha Tinta (100%)
ABV: 15%
Suggested retail: $18.99
My rating: 8.6 (out of 10)
Further reading:
Decanter: Bodegas Borsao – A story of passion, determination and vision
Into Wine: Campo de Borja: Spain’s “Empire of Garnacha”
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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