Aromas are predominantly red fruited–cherry, raspberry, plum and spice box. There’s some fresh fig as well as spiced sweet cherry. This is a seamlessly textured wine with fine tannins. It’s medium-plus in weight with raspberry and raspberry coulis along with bramble; juicy acidity keeps it balanced. Enjoy with smoked/barbequed meats, mole enchiladas, black beans, pizza, and caramelized roasted vegetables.

About the Wine

Bodegas Ateca was founded in 2005 as a joint venture between the Gil Family  (Bodegas Juan Gil began in 1916 and is well-known for their Monastrell wines) and importer Jorge Ordonez.  In 2009, Bodegas Ateca was fully acquired by the Gil family and is now part of the Gil Family States family of wineries. Currently 90% of the winery’s production is being exported. Its headquarters are in the locality of Ateca (Zaragoza), fourteen Kilometers away from Calatayud a DO (Denominación de Origen) located in the southwestern corner of the Aragon province of Spain.  The region was accorded the DO status in 1990.

The climate is continental with extremely hot summers but this effect is largely mitigated by the elevation of vineyards situated on the south-facing slopes of the Sierra de la Virgen range. The altitude of these sites can be anywhere between 550 m (1804 ft) to 800 m (2625 ft). This is vital to the region's quality wines as the colder heights prevent the grapes to achieve high must-weights and in turn high potential alcohol.