V i n e W isd o m
The Grace of Garnacha
By Robyn James
If I had to pinpoint
one special trend in the wine industry in the past year, I would say this is the year of the Spanish garnacha. This grape, pronounced grenache in the United States and France, is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world, particularly in Spain. Most likely having its origins in the Spanish region of Aragon, garnacha ripens late, so it needs the hot, dry conditions normally found in Spain. The long ripening process allows the sugars in the grape to reach high levels, making garnachabased wines capable of substantial alcohol levels. The best garnacha wines are from older vines (35-100 years old), where yields are kept low. They have characteristics of berry fruit such as raspberries and strawberries and can develop complex and intense notes of black currants, black cherries, black olives, coffee, gingerbread, leather and spices. Garnacha is also used to produce outstanding dry rosé wines.
30
The Priorat region of Spain, long considered one of the finest wine growing regions in the world, has had a presence of Garnacha for several hundred years. A wave of young, ambitious winemakers rediscovered the low-yield bush vine trained garnacha in Priorat’s craggy, rocky soils. This combination creates a dense, rich, concentrated, dark colored wine with noticeable tannins. Spanish importer Jorge Ordonez deserves nearly all the credit for introducing these gems and many others to the United States. He convinced growers in Spain to promote cleanliness, proper storage and transport. He showcased these values to Americans, and we listened! And we bought! Of Spanish garnacha, Robert Parker has said, “This is a marvelous consumer resource for high quality wines selling at absurdly low prices. I often ask myself, if I had known wines like this existed when I began my career 33 years ago, would I have even considered trying to find great wines at low prices? This has been one of my go-to wineries for many years, given their relationship between quality and price. Once you taste these wines, you will probably ask the same question many people have: Why do I need to spend more?” Here are some of the tastier wines you don’t want to miss!
Bodegas Ateca Old Vine Garnacha, Spain, approx. $16
“Emphatically toasted and charred on the nose, this offers chocolate and hickory aromas. It feels smooth, plush, layered and not at all simple, with baked black fruit flavors that are draped over savory barbecue and spice accents. The toast is present by not overpowering on the finish.”
March 2013P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Photograph by cassie butler
Spain’s go-to wino