SIP: Shocking Spanish Super-Value Reds (6 Bottles @ $44 OFF)
Figaro Tinto Garnacha 2016
(Calatayud, Spain) - [JD 90]
(Calatayud, Spain) - [JD 90]
Vinification:
Figaro spends just a few months in oak barrels, giving it a nice, spicy flavor boost.
Tasting Notes:
Bright violet. Dark berry and cherry aromas show a jammy aspect. Supple and gently sweet, with good lift to its black raspberry and boysenberry flavors. Smooth and broad on the finish, leaving behind a hint of spiciness. Extremely easy to drink and an excellent value.
Ratings & Reviews
"The 100% Garnacha 2016 Figaro Tinto Calatayud is a smoking value and is another red brought in by Kysela that knocks it out of the park on the value scale. Bright berry fruits, dried herbs, earth, and a touch of spice all flow to a medium-bodied, rounded, fleshy red that has loads of upfront charm and accessibility. It’s not going to make old bones, but as a house red to enjoy over the coming couple of years, it’s hard to beat." - Jeb Dunnuck (3/27/2019)
Wine Enthusiast Magazine:
"Spicy plum and berry aromas are earthy prior to a snappy, slightly shearing palate. Tomato and red fruit flavors hold their energy on a smacking, gritty finish with pop. This Garnacha delivers value and quality. Drink now. Michael Schachner" - (12/1/2019)
Mas Donis "Barrica" Garnacha-Syrah Old Vines 2013
(Montsant, Spain)
(Montsant, Spain)
About this Winery:
The DO Montsant is one of the youngest DOs in Catalunya but like the neighboring Priorat viticulture here is centuries old. The cooperative of Capçanes is situated in the village of the same name, nestled among the foothills of the Montsant mountains. In the 1990's, the co-op began making kosher wines for the Jewish community in Barcelona, and from this exposure in the capital of Catalunya, the property began to attract a greater level of interest – including that of esteemed importer Eric Solomon.
Tasting through the various tanks and barrels at Capçanes, he created a cuvée of Garnatxa and Syrah that he named Mas Donis – a wine he jokingly said was his "best Côtes-du-Rhône." Despite the similarities in cépage, the granite and schist terroirs here could not be more different than the calcareous soils of the Rhône valley. With time and experimentation – moving from barrel aging to aging entirely in concrete and selecting fruit from some of the oldest Garnatxa in the village, Mas Donis has evolved to show a more Priorat-inspired profile.
Tasting Notes:
Medium ruby with violet shades; very nice Glycerin mouthfeel and texture; wild red and black berry flavors, cherry, spices and herbs; well integrated elegant smooth vanilla oaky toasty notes; ripe mouthful and complex on the palate: loads of sweet vibrant fruit; medium to full-bodied with soft and velvet tannins and nicely refreshing finish.
Ratings & Reviews
"Another baby Priorato, the 2012 Mas Donis, a custom cuvee from Eric Solomon, is composed of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah aged nine months in both new and used French and American oak. The Grenache comes from 70-year-old vines, and the Syrah from 30-year-old vines. It is difficult to find a better value than this incredibly rich effort. The bouquet offers up a smorgasbord of aromas, including crushed rocks, spring flowers, kirsch liqueur and blacker fruits. Full-bodied with a velvety, voluptuous texture, and admirable opulence, density, purity and texture, it is nearly impossible to believe that something this good could be priced at $12 a bottle. " - (29th Nov 2013)
Burgo Viejo Garnacha Old Vine 2016
(Rioja, Spain) - [VM 90] [JS 90] [JD 90]
(Rioja, Spain) - [VM 90] [JS 90] [JD 90]
This wine is our tribute to the flagship grape variety of Rioja Baja. Garnacha has been grown in Alfaro for many centuries in perfect balance with the local soils and climate which result in our intensely fruity wines, full-bodied and with velvety soft tannins. Deep and brilliant cherry color; red wild berries, violet and subtle spice on the nose; the taste sensation is rich, long, and very smooth.
Ratings & Reviews
"Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Vibrant red fruits aromas gain urgency with air and pick up an appealing floral quality. Silky and seamless in texture, offering open-knit raspberry and cherry flavors that become spicier on the back half. In a plush, emphatically fruity style, finishing juicy and quite long, with soft tannins framing the exuberant fruit." - Josh Raynolds (February 2019)
90 Points - James Suckling:
"Ripe wild raspberry and cassis fruits that are really brambly and expressive. The palate is all raspberry with smooth tannins and gently tangy appeal. Drink now." - James Suckling (November 2017)
90 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"This estate turned out an outstanding 2016 Old Vine Garnacha, which is 100% varietal brought up all in tank. Classic notes of darker cherries, currants, tobacco, and cedary herbs all flow to a medium-bodied Garnacha that has plenty of fruit and spice, a rounded, layered texture, and tons of charm. It’s a terrific value and should keep nicely for 2-4 years." - Jeb Dunnuck (March 2019)
Altovinum "Evodia" Garnacha Old Vine 2020
(Calatayud, Spain) - [WA 91]
(Calatayud, Spain) - [WA 91]
About the Winery:
Years ago while working on a project in Calatayud, Eric Solomon met Jean-Marc Lafage and Yolanda Diaz. Yolanda is a native of the region and knows the terruño of Calatayud better than anyone. Jean-Marc is the very talented winemaker and consultant from the Roussillon just across the border in France. Together they “discovered” a unique village in Calatayud, Atea. At 1000 meters above sea level it is the highest elevation village in the whole DO. Even more interesting is that the soil here is black schist, the same soil one can find in the Priorat and in Maury where Jean-Marc owns an estate by the name of Saint-Roch. This unique terroir and the old vines of Garnacha rooted in it, are the origins of Evodia. Altovinum is a new project - a joint partnership between Eric Solomon, Jean Marc Lafage and Yolanda Diaz. Sourcing fruit from high elevation vineyards in the village of Atea, the debut wine is EVODIA, from the Greek word for aroma.
About the Wine:
Evodia is sourced from Garnacha from the villages of Atea, Acered and Alarba. Located in the Sierra Santa Cruz, these steep sites (up to 25%) have various exposures but share similar soils - slate and quartzite over clay. At an average elevation of 900 meters above sea level, these vineyards are among the highest sites within the province of Aragon. This unique terroir and the old vines of Garnacha rooted in it, are the origins of Evodia.
Technical Information
Origin: Spain
Appellation: Calatayud
Soil: Black schist
Age of Vines: 40-100 years (average)
Elevation: 800-1000 meters
Grape: 100% Garnacha
Aging: 6 months in concrete tanks (80%) and neutral French and American oak barrels, and concrete eggs (20%)
Tasting Notes:
This 100% Garnacha offers a lovely perfume of spice box, mineral, and wild cherry. This perfectly balanced mix of flavors lends itself to an intensely fruity wine with loads of taste, a smooth texture, and a pure, fruit-filled finish.
Pairs well with white and red meats roasted or grilled, big game, meat casseroles and stews, complex sauces, foie gras and legumes or blue and cured cheeses.
Ratings & Reviews
91 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The very young and juicy 2020 Evodia comes from a year with more rain than average and moderately warm temperatures that resulted in an early harvest of a generous crop that delivered wines of lower alcohol (14.5%) and more freshness. It fermented with some 20% full clusters and had a very soft vinification and extraction with no pump-overs. This is always very aromatic (it's what the name means), and in 2020 it's even paler and more ethereal then the 2019 that was already impressive and quite a change from previous vintages and other wines from the cooperative. Only 20% of the volume matured in oak and the wine is not oaky at all and has contained ripeness and very light extraction. This is bright and elegant, fresh and very pleasant to drink. Incredible for the price." - Luis Gutierrez (Nov 2021)
Torres "Sangre de Toro" Tempranillo DO 2018
(La Mancha, Spain)
(La Mancha, Spain)
During the early 1950s, Miguel Torres Carb, part of the third generation to head Bodegas Torres, tirelessly explored the vineyards in his Renault 44, searching for the regions most prized red grapes Garnacha and Cariena. He wanted to make a different kind of wine that would lend expression to the authentic character of the land.
Today, people around the world see the Sangre de Toro wine as a model of quality Spanish winemaking: a contemporary, elegant and versatile classic that affirms the importance of authenticity and staying true to one's roots.
Tasting Notes:
Dark cherry red with purple highlights. Fragrant and intense, with deep fruit notes (raspberry) against a licorice backdrop. A fine, velvety, warm palate with a touch of sweetness.
Food Pairing:
Wonderful with meat, and a perfect match for creamy cheeses.
Technical Information
Grapes: 100% TempranilloRegion: La Mancha
Vinification Process: The grapes undergo eight days of skin contact and fermentation in stainless steel under controlled temperature for seven days.
Alcohol Content: 13.50%
Valle del Cua Mencia 2016
(Bierzo, Spain) - [WS 91]
(Bierzo, Spain) - [WS 91]
About the Wine:
Prefermentation maceration for 3-5 days at 4-6 C. Alcoholic fermentation 6-10 days. Maceration 4-10 days. Malolactic fermentation 5-9 days. Aged 2 months in stainless steel tanks, then 2 months in bottle prior to release.
Varietal: 100% Mencia
Tasting Notes
A black cherry color with intense violet hues. Aromas are dominated by ripe red fruits, minerals and blue flowers. Fine, concentrated and exquisite on the palate, it is fleshy, fragrant, and full bodied.
Ratings & Reviews
91 Points - Wine Spectator Magazine:
"A silky texture carries harmonious, if somewhat muted, flavors of red plum, tobacco, sage and mineral in this focused red. Light, well-integrated tannins and lively acidity give this balance. Should bloom in a year or two. Drink now through 2024. 1,500 cases made, 250 cases imported." - TM
Jeb Dunnuck:
"Cherries, darker fruits, and leafy, peppery herbs define the 2016 Valle del Cua Mencia Bierzo. It’s medium-bodied, fleshy and charming, with a delicious, gulpable style. Drink up." - Jeb Dunnuck (3/27/2019)