The Altovinum Evodia 2013 is 100% Garnacha sourced from vineyards in the Calatayud DO of the Aragon region of northeast Spain. This region is to Garnacha what Lodi in California is to Zinfandel, which is the home of a myriad of old vine grapes farmed in an area that does not always get the respect it deserves. These are 40 to 100 year old Garnacha vines growing in some of the highest altitude vineyards in Spain. Evodia is a project put together by Eric Solomon (the importer) and Bodegas San Alejandro. This Garnacha (also known as Grenache) is fermented and aged in stain-less steel tanks and is a “drink it now” wine, putting a bottle or two away for a couple of years won’t improve the wine.
The color is ruby-red with a see-thru rim. The nose is jammy fruit, strawberries in cream and raisin spice cake. This is a bright, fruit forward wine, with silky tannins and a solid, balanced dose of acidity. It starts blackberry, licorice and then a slight pull from the tannins. The mid-palate brings tart cranberry and a touch of vanilla. The finish lingers for quite some time.
The Altovinum Evodia is a wine that delivers vintage after vintage. It sells at wine shops around Chicago for under $10 and nothing about this bottle suggests an inexpensive wine. The Evodia is sleek and delicious, for pairings it can handle filet mignon to Chipolte burritos and it is a flat-out excellent sipping wine. This is a wine that sells for $10 and drinks like $20, what else can you ask for?
