Category: Garnacha

Calatayud, Garnacha, Old vines, Red wine, Spain

Atteca 2008

Vera C.


Winemaker: Sarah Morris (Australia)
Grape: 100% Garnacha Old Vines
Region: Calatayud, Spain

Stephen Tanzer score: 90 points

See other wines from this producer:
Garnacha de Fuego

Joined project of Gil family and Jorge Ordóñez in Calatayud. Bodegas Ateca, the producer of this wine, owns 132 acres of old vines (about 60-120 years old vines, located high on the hillsides – 3,000 ft above the sea level.Extreme conditions – elevation, age of the vines and very little rainfall results in very low yield and therefore very concentrated flavors and color in wine. The grapes for Atteca were carefully selected from the best grapes of the old vineyards.

After the perfectly ripe grapes were hand harvested, they went through another careful selection at the sorting tables in the winery. The wine aged 10 months in American and French oak.

Tasting notes:
This wine of dark ruby color improves with aerating. Lovely ripe dark fruit with blueberry tones and spices. Rich, almost sweet flavors of layered fruit is beautifully composed and balanced. Long satisfying finish.

This wine can be enjoyed right now but will improve with 1-2 years in the bottle. This wine can proudly compete with rich red wines from Rhone or California, in much higher price category. Atteca is an excellent value!

Dry – Off dry – Medium sweet – Sweet
Light – Medium – Full body
No oak – Aged in oak
Retail price: under $ 15.00

Ideal food pairing:
Anything from the grill, roasts, steak, barbecue, pork chops, smoked salmon

Calatayud, Garnacha, Great wines under $10, Grenage, Old vines, Red wine, Spain

Garnacha de Fuego 2008

Vera C.

Grape: 100% Garnacha Old Vines
Region: Calatayud, Spain

See other wines from this producer:
Atteca 2008

Producer of this wine is Bodegas Ateca, another successful joined project of Gil family from southern Jumilla and Jorge Ordóñez. Grapes are sourced from different vineyards, located in the region at 3000 ft above the sea level, planted with vines that averages 60 – 120 year old vines.

Due to extreme conditions for growing vine – with most vineyards located high on the hillsides and with very low rainfall, the old vine produces low yield of very concentrated fruit, that is harvested by hand.

After the harvest of perfectly mature clusters there is an additional sorting of grapes at the sorting tables in the winery.

2008 vintage, just reviewed by Jay Miller/Wine Advocate 89 points! :
“The grapes for this new project were sourced from 60- to 80-year-old vines whose already low yields were reduced an additional 70% by the weather conditions of the vintage.

A glass-coating opaque purple, remarkably deep for a wine of this price made from Garnacha, the wine offers a nose of brooding black cherry and blueberry. Concentrated, ripe, and balanced on the palate, this flavorful, lengthy effort will drink well over the next four years. It is an outstanding value.”

Tasting notes:
Rich, dark ruby wine with outstanding aroma of dark mature fruit, with a touch of smokiness. Full bodied red that is bursting in rich fruit flavors, yet has a very silky texture and is perfectly focused and balanced.

This is a serious red wine for serious wine lovers. If your friends has a tendency to be prejudice about the quality of the wine at this low price, don’t spoil the occasion and don’t even tell them what you paid for it. Trust me, they wouldn’t believe you!

Dry – Off dry – Medium sweet – Sweet
Light – Medium – Full body
No oak – Aged in oak
Retail price: about $ 8.99

Ideal food pairing:
Anything from the grill, roasts, steak, barbecue, Shortcut drunken chili, Bison burgers, Flank Steak Fajitas, and many more

Borja, Garnacha, Great wines under $10, Red wine, Spain

Monte Oton 2008

Vera C.

Winemaker: Jose Luis
Grape: Garnacha
Region: Borja, Spain

See other wines produced by Bodegas Borsao:
Alto Moncayo Veraton
Borsao Tres Picos

This new wine made in Bodegas Borsao, Campo de Borja is not only attractive by the label, but wait till you taste it! Young but hearty, ripe and textured wine that didn’t age in oak, is a clear, full expression of rich fruit coming from volcanic soils of Moncayo.

R. Parker said:

The 2008 Monte Oton is more expressive aromatically. Spicy and vibrant on the palate and with a bit more depth and structure, this crowd-pleaser should also drink well for at least another 3-4 years.

Tasting notes:
Fruity, spicy and attractive up front, with a ripe blend of plum, raspberry and pepper flavors. Unbelievably focused for such an inexpensive wine, yet it’s also a little bit juicy and wild. Great, complex wine with a long finish. With a retail tag of $8 – $9 this is an excellent value!!

Dry – Off dry – Medium sweet – Sweet
Light – Medium – Full body
No oak – Aged in oak
Retail price: under $ 10.00

Ideal food pairing:
Barbecue, hamburgers, chili, beef stew, sausages and peppers, meatloaf and many more