Bodegas Ateca Atteca Old Vine Garnacha 2019
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James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Deep cherry color, on the nose it presents intense aromas of ripe red fruit (raspberry) that combine perfectly with the spicy notes of cocoa, vanilla and licorice that respond to a noble aging. Powerful and full on the palate with a very fresh and fruity mid palate, but tasty and complex, mineral, with a remarkable
finish where the fruity and spicy aromas reappear in the retronasal. Magnificent
expression of an elegant Aragonese Grenache with very ripe tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, black cherries, chocolate, wet leaves and dried herbs. Medium- to full-bodied with firm tannins and a juicy black-fruited palate. Ripe and mellow with a flavorful, fruity finish. Drink now.
Other Vintages
2020-
James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Robert
Parker
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Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker
Bodegas Ateca was founded just outside the town of Ateca, Calatayud by the Gil Family in 2005. The focus is cultivating old-vine Garnacha, some dating back to the early 20th century, on slate-based vineyards at about 3,000 feet above sea level, some of the highest vineyards in the region. Clay loam deep below the rocky slate allows the vines to obtain moisture and the vineyards to be dry-farmed, lending to low-yields, intensity and structure.
The vines are bush-trained, dry-farmed, hand harvested and farmed without the use of pesticides or herbicides. The wines are fermented in stainless steel before being transferred to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
Calatayud DO is a wine region tucked into northern Spain’s regions just south of Rioja, about 55 miles (90km) from the provincial capital, Zaragoza. When Calatayud attained DO status in the 90s, it rapidly became Aragon’s second largest quality wine-producing region after its neighbor, Cariñena. Since then, it has focused on upgrading and perfecting its wines with progressive improvements in both cooperatives and private bodegas. Similarly, there has been substantial investment in new technology, winemaking system, and vineyard research. Thanks to this, Calatayud wines are now beginning to show their true potential.
The principle red grape varieties grown are Garnacha Tinta, Tempranillo, Syrah, Bobal, Monastrell.
Many of the new wineries are exploring the potential of the Garnacha grape. A new category of red wines called Calatayud Superior is made from red Garnacha from low yield vines that are at least 50 years old.
The principal white grape varieties in Calatayud are Macabeo, Garnacha Blanca, Malvasía and Chardonnay.