Highlight of wineries in:
01 DO Cariñena
. The largest and oldest Aragonese DO, Cariñena was demarcated in 1932 and also shares its name with the grape (known as Carignan in France).
Garnacha under vine: 4,400 hectares
Winery: Bodegas Ignacio Marín (1903) is a prominent familyowned estate in the heart of the Cariñena. Their historic winery with its breathtaking spiral design combines gravity technology and an emphasis on oak ageing. A wide range of wine styles is available, though the more modern ones stand out. For instance, the Wine Wings range is named for various birds, with the Golondrina representing a multi-vintage harmony of 2016 and 2017 Garnacha (from 60 year old vines) with 2015 Cariñena (grape). Elegant, lively and rounded, this ‘riserva especial’ lives up to its joyful label.
02 DO Campo de Borja
Campo de Borja received its DO status in 1980, professing very old vineyards dating to 1890 and with half of its Garnacha acreage qualifying as old vines at 30 to 50 years old. You can identify this DO by full-bodied and intensely fruity style.
Garnacha under vine: 4,000 hectares
Winery: Bodegas Aragonesas (1984) is one of the largest wineries in the appellation, thanks to 3,700 hectares producing 7 million bottles annually. It prides itself on Garnacha, produced under flagship brands Fagus, Coto de Hayas, Garnacha Centenaria, Galiano, Don Ramón and Aragonia. Aragus Ecologica, an organic bottling, is redolent of the wild rosemary that dot its vineyards, while the highest end Galiano commands a €80 price tag. With yields of less than 1kg per 50-year-old vine, the fruit is carefully managed for an exceptionally silky and high-toned palate.
03 DO Calatayud
Calatayud achieved its DO status in 1990, an encouraging sign for its cooperative and private bodegas to pursue higher quality Garnacha. It has since introduced a new category of Calatayud Superior, made from vines that are at least 50 years old.
Garnacha under vine: 2,000 hectares
Winery: Bodegas San Alejandro (1962) comprises a cooperative of 150 families, working 950 hectares and 1,250 plots – one of the largest in the area. Its range is accordingly varied, among them Evodia for a perfumed, intense and modern bottling; Las Rocas
with its characteristic freshness and granitic character; and Balthasar Gracián, its emblematic range. Named after the famed 17th century writer who was born 8km from the site of the winery, this range fully respects the purity and minerality of old vine Garnacha, with savoury concentration of the fruit.