• Wild berries
• Pepper & herbs
• Full-bodied
• Smooth tannins

"Youthfully charming and seductively complex with dark berry, olive, cured meat and violet aromas, it's beautifully weighted on the palate delivering ripe fruit intensity with plump mouthfeel and fine polished tannins, finishing delightfully savoury and delectable. At its best: now to 2028" Sam Kim, Wine Orit, May 2022

"Predominantly grenache with other varieties. Dense, rich, weighty red that is a pleasure to taste. Rustic meets royalty. A great match with hearty stews and casseroles. Excellent value at this price. Drink 2022–2030" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, May 2022

"Very expressive and fruity bouquet with layers of red berries and spice, there’s a light meaty quality, a core of mineral with a stony granite quality then a layer of dried herb and wood spices. A firm youthful texture with tannins and acidity driving the mouthfeel. Flavours of cranberry and spiced plum, boysenberry and macerated cherries then vanilla and mineral returns. A decent weight with medium+ complexity and loads of charm. Best drinking from 2023 through 2027+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Jun 2022

"Talented Norrel Robertson MW has made some of the most exciting discoveries I have come across in a long while" Jancis Robinson, Master of Wine

Deep purple in colour. Lifted aromas of black cherry fruit and wild berries with complex notes of pepper and mountain herbs. Full-bodied, with dense, mouth-filling black fruit this is a richly flavoured with smooth tannins, bright acidity and a long smoky finish.

Papa Luna is the creation of Scottish-born and New Zealand-trained winemaker Norrel Robertson, Master of Wine. Norrel worked vintages in Portugal, Italy, France, Australia, Chile and New Zealand before he and his family landed in Spain in 2003. It was first released in 2004 and this 2020, the 16th vintage is comprised of old Vine Garnacha 75%, Syrah 20%, Mazuelo (Carignan) 5%. It is named after Pedro Martinez de Luna, or “Papa Luna”, the last Pope to reign in Avignon during the dual Papacy in the late 14th century. He was born in the Calatayud region and this wine is a homage to his inimitable character.

Located in Aragón in northeast Spain the vineyards are in the sub-region of Calatayud which offers one of the most singular areas in Spain for Garnacha based wines due to its unique continental climate and ancient vines which produce wines of great intensity. Today Norrel owns more than 25 hectares with dry grown, low- yielding vines on rocky, calcareous soil aged between 50 and 115 years. Altitudes range between 700 and 950 meters on the slopes of Monte Armantes and Sierra de la Virgen in the heart of the Iberian System.

Sarah Jane Evans, Master of Wine, of Decanter Magazine explains “Norrel has spent years seeking out the best expression of high-altitude old vineyards and making wines of great character.” And from the eminent Jancis Robinson Master of Wine, “Talented Norrel Robertson has made some of the most exciting discoveries I have come across in a long while [he is] the top producer in Calatayud.” Colin Harkness on Wine states. “Norrel makes a range of wines that are in the top flight of the whole of Spain. It’s clear that here are wines that are placing Calatayud firmly on the map of quality wines of the world”.

In the words of Anthony Rose in The Independent (UK), “this is a powerful Spanish answer to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, only considerably more affordable.” Indeed, Papa Luna is an incredible value wine with multiple previous vintages scoring 90+ in respected publications and critics such as Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Cuisine Magazine, Bob Campbell MW and has wone a gold medal at the NZIWS and was named Wine of the Year in The Indispensable Wine Guide.

Food Pairing: A great wine to drink with classic game dishes such as venison, duck and roast suckling pig. It also partners well with punchy, flavoursome dishes such as ragout and tomato based recipes.