Bodegas Ateca 2009 Garnacha de Fuego

This afternoon I felt a little like I might be getting an ulcer. After finishing a pretty big motion for summary judgment at work (17 pages what!), I took on a small assignment for another attorney, then jetted off to school to meet with my prof and the IT department about the Business Law Program website. By the way, it's "website" now, as opposed to "Web site" like it was when I took Writing for Mass Comm. in undergrad or "Website" like it morphed into soon afterward. So sometime before the meeting, I got this kind of ill burning in my tummy, which lingered until well after I got home. I considered the possibility that the burning was a direct result of me eating cake for dinner, but that seemed like a bummer conclusion. Instead, I decided that it might be an ulcer from all the stress, so I should probably relieve some of it with a little vino. On the rare occasions when I have a glass of wine by myself, I try to select the cheapest bottle on my rack. I don't even know if this makes sense, but it feels like a waste if I open an awesome bottle and no one is here to share in the elation. This grenache was a steal the other night at wine tasting, on sale for $7.99.

The vines used for this wine are 60 to 80 years old and rest at 3000 feet above sea level in the Calatayud Region of Catalonia, Spain. It is 100% Granache and is not aged in oak (though I can't find what is IS aged in). Calatayud consists of 15 vineyards, or bodegas, and the area produces 12.3 million liters of wine every year. The soil is clay and gravel loams, which just means that it retains water well while not completely locking in water as a pure clay would. Thus, the vines need minimal rainfall to get enough water, and aren't drowned by lingering water stuck in the clay.

I had to smile when I swirled the wine in my glass. It was a beautiful fuschia and glowed under the fluorescent kitchen lights. The first taste was full of grapes - maybe this sounds obvious, but if you've ever tasted a cab sauv or malbec, you know there ain't no grapes in there. With a little more attention, I noticed a heavy cherry flavor - but cherry juice, not cherry syrup. I was nibbling on some gouda while I drank it, but oddly, neither was enhanced by the other. Usually, I find that just about any cheese makes just about any wine taste markedly more delish. In this case, the wine could hold its own with the fruit and wasn't in need of accompaniment. That being said, I could go for a burger right now.