The Evodia Garnacha 2016 is 100% Garnacha sourced from 40 to 100 year old vines located in the Calatayud DO inside the Aragon district of northeast Spain. Evodia is one of big-time importer Eric Solomon of European Cellars wines and this one of CWF’s personal favorites, we have write-ups on the 2008, 2010, and the 2013 vintage on-site and this is one of those “sells for $10, tastes like $20” wines. I found this wine for $8 (on sale) this time and the packaging gives no clue to its low price, the bottle has some heft to it and the label wouldn’t look out-of-place on a table featuring $40 or $50 dollar wines. Evodia comes from a region where many inexpensive Garnacha (know as Grenache in France and the US) wines routinely receive 90 points or more in the main wine magazines. Garnacha from northeast Spain reliably delivers good bang for the buck. People always ask me, “where can they find good inexpensive wine” and the actual answer is “just about anywhere”, the overall quality of wine has never been better. They key is to figure out what styles of wine you like, but if you are just starting out with wine, learning about Garnacha from Aragon isn’t a bad place to start. This Garnacha was fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in a mix of stainless tanks and French oak barrels (like the ones used in the Rhone Valley of France). The alcohol content is a ripe 14.5%.
The color is a very dark raspberry jam red with a clear halo. The nose is lightly smokey, with ripe blackberries, a touch of herbs, roses, and licorice. This is a medium-bodied plus Garnacha full of flavor, with solid structure. It tastes of extracted blackberry, chocolate mocha, a bit of sweet blueberry, and soft herbs. The mid-palate shows tart cranberry, cigar tobacco, and a slight hint of cream. This is a modern, fruit-forward, but well-balanced wine. The finish is full and very long.
The Evodia Garnacha 2016 is a very good quality drink-it-now wine. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a drink-it-now wine, over 90% of all wine is consumed with hours of purchase, being ready to drink at it’s best is a very good thing. For some reason most Grenache/Garnacha wine from California or Washington are expensive, they are hard to find under $17 or $20, while Grenache/Garnacha (sometimes mixed with Syrah) from southern France and northern Spain are some of the best value wines available. So, I think many American value wine drinkers are not as familiar with Grenache/Garnacha as they should be. If you want good wine at good value, learn about Grenache/Garnacha.
