Bodegas Ateca Atteca Armas 2018
Winemaker Notes
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.
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.
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.