Today’s Bottle: Abadia de la Oliva Garnacha 2012

We’re starting a new feature of micro-blogging about the wines we open during the week. We’re calling it Today’s Bottle! They will be short entries but hopefully you will get some useful information about our daily drinkers.

Today is Sunday and we are winding down the weekend with a bottle of  Spanish wine that we received as part of our wine shipment from Club W. It’s a $13 bottle as are all bottles with Club W. We just became members and are pleasantly surprised at the quality of wines we are getting from this club. We were hoping to find a solution for lower cost daily drinkers that still provided a nice experience and I think we have found a great source in Club W. We will still be going to our local wine shops but Club W makes it easy by shipping to us.

Now on to the wine!

Abadia de la Oliva Garnacha 2012

The story from the wine label is too fun. (You can learn a great deal from their Web site too, here.) I can’t believe the grapes in this wine are from a winery originating from 1134! We have to share the history:

In 1134, King Garcia Ramirez requested the Cistercian monks’ return to the south of Navatte, from Burgundy. In his offer, he granted lands at the banks of the river Aragon and at the gates of the Bardenas Reales desert, a region today known as Tres Riberas. The King provided the monks with what they needed for their development and expansion but the work to build the abbey, and winery, took considerably more time than it did to bottle the first vintage that very same year. From the outset in 1134, the monks made wine. (Paying homage in cloistered silence is thirsty work, after all.)

With 869 years of history, this is the oldest  continuously operating winery in Spain. They grow their grapes on granitic and sandy soils, with a profound quantity of round river stone in the topsoil. They work naturally in both the vineyard and winery. Cement tanks are used for fermentation and aging primarily, with some stainless steel employed in the process. Ample fruit, freshness and minerality all come to mind as you sip. Here’s to the monks…

Abadia de la Oliva blog image

Jane Says

I am cooking a turkey meatloaf this evening with roasted cauliflower so I wanted something light. When I saw this bottle was a garnacha, I said this is it! This is a nice light-bodied wine for a relaxing evening and a light meal. The main aroma I get is dark cherry. It’s on the dry side and makes you pucker slightly. I found it to be a nice surprise for a $13 bottle and what an amazing history. I want to visit that winery!

Steve Says

It’s hard to find the exact nose, its subtle to be sure. The body is definitely light; I’ve certainly had bigger Garnacha. It did pair exceptionally well with the cauliflower and meat loaf. It shows a soft finish with just a touch of dryness. Overall I think its a good budget daily drinker if you’re Jones’ing for a nice simple bottle, and you’re not in the mood for anything with a big presence.