Share
Preview
“SEXY” 91 POINT CROWD PLEASER!

Today’s wine, 2013 Bodegas Breca Breca Garnacha Calatayud, is yet another excellent example of the delicious, well-made value wines coming from Spain that are huge hits here in the States. Not surprisingly, Bodegas Breca is a project led by Jorge Ordoñez, the charismatic man who launched a wine revolution in Spain. He champions authentic yet modern Spanish wines that are infused with Spanish spirit and terroir (read more about Jorge below). Enjoy this ‘sexy’ old vine garnacha any night of the week – at under $12, it’s easy on the wallet!” – Jim Knight, The Wine House
2013 Bodegas Breca Breca Garnacha Calatayud
91 Points Vinous
Wine House: $11.99
“(made from the property's oldest vines, which were planted between 1925 and 1945): Vivid ruby. Sexy, mineral-laced aromas of fresh red berries, candied flowers and Asian spices, with a hint of cola in the background. Sweet, concentrated and seamless, offering intense raspberry and cherry compote flavors and a touch of vanilla. Clings with impressive authority on the finish, which features supple tannins and lingering floral character. This wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks, then went through malolactic fermentation and 21 months of aging in used French oak barriques. Yields here were reportedly less than a ton per acre in this vintage.” –Josh Raynolds, Vinous, December 2015

Grape Variety: 100% Garnacha Old Vines

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The winery owns 265 Ha.(654 acres) of old-vine Garnacha vineyards situated high on hillsides ranging from 950-1000 m (2,850-3,000 ft.) above sea level. The old-vines vineyards used to make this wine are situated near the village of Munebrega, in the valleys between Sierra de Pardos and Sierra de Peña Blanca. Planted between 1925 and 1945, these vines yield less than 2.47 tons/Ha. (1 ton/acre).

There are two different types of soils in this region. The first is characterized by decomposed slate; the second is composed mainly of gravely red clay. Even though there is very little rainfall in the region, the clay holds sufficient water for the vines to obtain moisture and to be grown without irrigation. Harvest is done by hand, to ensure that only perfectly mature clusters are selected.

Breca is fermented in stainless steel then transferred to new to three vintage old French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. Aged for 21 months.

ABOUT JORGE ORDONEZ

The state of Spanish wine in the United States in 1987, when Jorge Ordoñez arrived, was bleak, epitomized mostly by cheap sherry and tired Rioja gathering dust on wine shops’ lower shelves. Having grown up in a family wine distribution business in Malaga, Spain, Ordoñez knew the ins and outs of the wine business –from loading trucks to evaluating barrel samples to making deals. He quickly recognized the potential for Spanish wine in America for what it was. But in order for his vision to succeed, changes had to occur on both sides of the Atlantic.

On the American side, a lifetime’s worth of misperception had to be overturned. The conventional wisdom had it that Spanish was pale, flat, low quality, funky and cheap. Ordonez knew that some of this resulted factors external to the wines, such as poor storage and transport conditions and inept marketing. He revered the wines of his homeland and was one of the few to recognize the vast international potential of its old vines and dry-farmed vineyards. But, seeing the trends toward modernity in other countries, he also recognized that Spanish winemaking itself needed revitalization: some traditional methods needed updating, yields needed to be lowered, cleanliness promoted. Ordonez’s modus operandi was to preserve the wines’ heritage and Spanish character while coaxing them into line with the late-20th-century palate.   There was risk involved. Instead of pandering to internationalist trends, Ordoñez took the bold step of challenging the American palate by being the first to introduce exotic wines like Albarino, Txakoli and Godello to a market that knew little more than sangria.

Ordonez became known as an obsessive crusader for the careful handling of wine. Likewise, he brazenly demanded major improvements in the method of transporting and storing the wine before it reached the consumer. To that end, Fine Estates From Spain was the first company to have a refrigerated warehouse in Spain and refrigerated shipping and proper storage from wineries, transporters and merchants.  An uphill battle for a decade before the market perception slowly began to change, it wasn’t until the late 1990s that Spanish wines were finally recognized as a top quality product. Yet even as Americans were just becoming aware of names like Ribera del Duero and Rias Baixas, Ordonez was already pioneering in new areas where potential was vast but winemaking tradition was rustic. In unheralded regions like Jumilla, Calatayud and Montsant, Ordonez partnered with his most talented winemaking partners to create new wines where none existed, wines infused with Spanish spirit and terroir, yet firmly in line with modern taste sensibilities. And ultimately that has become the new perception of Spanish wine–authentic yet modern. In creating a market for Spanish wine where once there was none, and in helping Spanish winegrowers believe that their wines deserve a place alongside the greatest wines of Europe and America.

Jorge has quite a list of achievements; twice named one of 20 wine personality of the year by Robert Parker he was awarded The Golden Grape Award in 1997 by Food & Wine Magazine and in Spain he was a given the Premier de Nacional de Gastronomia de Victor de la Serna by the Academia Española de Gastronomia in 1997 as well.  In 2008 Jorge was named the Luminary of the Year at the Nantucket Wine Festival, the first time ever the award has been bestowed.

WineHouse
Facebook             Twitter             Instagram

CONTACT US


The Wine House
2311 Cotner Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90064-1877


310.479.3731 or 800.626.9463

(0 for assistance)


wine@winehouse.com


Email Marketing by ActiveCampaign