The King of Varieties and the Return of the big Red

In the North-East, extending right up to the French border, Aragon has one of the most complex histories in Spain. It was declared a kingdom back in the 11^th century and remained as such up until the 18^th. The Kings and Queens of Aragon are some of the best known and most colourful characters in Spanish history. Add to that the influences of Islamic traditions, especially in the Mudejar architecture of the region, and the myths and legends of magic and local folklore, and you soon see why this is a cross-roads of various cultures and époques.

While the history is dense, this area of the country is actually the second least populated after La Mancha. The sense of space is inspiring. From thick forested areas in the north, to nearly desert-like conditions in the south, one thing is common throughout: altitude, dramatic landscapes, good food (sorry can’t escape a food mention!) and Garnacha. Well ok so the vineyards don’t cover the entire region but there are some stunning old sites - even of pre-phylloxera age – throughout this former kingdom. And the key fact to point out here is that there is significant evidence to suggest that Aragon is the origin, the birthplace, of this variety.

 

Just like the landscape, the Garnacha here is big, confronting and full of complexity. Sweet red fruit, powerful, it packs a punch. We know our customers love rich, full-bodied reds, and I can’t think of many better regions to find this style of wine (at a good price!).  The high altitude and old bush vines produce Garnacha of unrivaled quality.

During the last decade the region has lost a lot of its precious old vine resource: the government was actually giving out money to rip up vineyards and ridiculously the older ones were the first to go! But some growers hung on and thank goodness they did! There are still pockets of really old bush vines making enormously rich and spicy reds. In fact, some of you might remember a wine called Altogrado: an intense Garnacha from Calatayud. Well it’s on its way back. The 2013 will be from Cariñena, just down the road from the original source but each year I´ll be looking out for the best possible grapes from all over Aragon to make the biggest richest fruitiest Garnacha we can find. The 2014 should be ready for summer (perfect to celebrate the end of a wet winter!).