The Beaune Yard

July 23^rd 2009

Bodegas Zabrin Atteca 2005 Garnacha - Spain

There are times when a wine experience (regardless of the quality of the wine) is so memorable that it makes the wine great and there are times when you just get an excellent bottle of wine.  Then there are those few times when great wine comes with an experience that makes it even better than you could imagine.  My bottle of Atteca is just one of those wines.

The short story is that for $15 a bottle in the retail stores you can’t go wrong with Atteca.  It will hold up with any red wine that you want to drink and is one of the smoothest of the Spanish reds I have ever had.  This is a wine worth having in your cellar and according the “experts” it ranks in the 88-93 range.  They also say it drinks from now until around 2011 without problems.  You should get a case.

Now for the reason that this is one of the best wines I have had.  It goes along with another review (please look at Fish out of Water in Water Color Florida).

For a birthday dinner, Dan, Jen and my wife took me to Fish out of Water.  More importantly they decided that they would let me have some fun by letting me be quirky without feeling like an ass.  To top of a great meal and a great wine, we had a restaurateur that made the dinner.  Jaie was the consummate wine connoisseur.  He knew his wines and he knew his customers and he made us feel like friends versus patrons.

The concept started with a bottle of Los Vascos that Dan and Jen had brought as a birthday gift.  When asking Jaie about another wine that might pair well with this wine as well as our dinners he gave me 6 or 7 choices. Special Note:  This is just how good Jaie is, he brought all 6 or 7 bottles to the table.  All of which were excellent choices in their own right.  However, I was swayed by his casual manner and impeccable descriptions.  So we had a head to head tasting of the Atteca and a wine by the Terlato family called Galaxy.  Think of David and Goliath.  A $15 wine versus a $75 wine where both actually held their own.  You could tell the difference but for the price you can’t beat the Atteca.  Pair that Jaie selling us the experience (and he sold it well, so well we raved about it for days) and food that was out of this world good - you get a great wine that gets even better.

If you are in the Destin area and want a meal that will not disappoint, go to Fish out of Water, ask for Jaie and do a head to head tasting.  You won’t regret it. 

Remember that life is too short for bad wine or bad friends.

Now for what the “experts” say:

International Wine Cellar

Atteca in 100% Garnacha old-vines ranging from 80-120 years. Dark ruby-colored, it delivers an alluring bouquet of asian spices, wild black cherry, and blueberry. Layered & sweetly- fruited, the wine is nicely balanced & lenghty. It has enough stuffing to evolve for 1-2 years but can be enjoyed now. It is a SUPERB VALUE!! Bodegas Atteca is a new partnership between the Gil family of Jumilla & importer Jorge Ordonez.

Score: 91. —Stephen Tanzer, September 30, 2008.

Wine Advocate

The 2007 Atteca was sourced from 80- to 120-year-old head pruned Garnacha vines and aged for 10 months in seasoned French oak. Deep purple-colored, it exhibits an impressive nose of crushed stone, black cherry, and plum. This is followed by a full-bodied wine with layers of savory fruit, spice notes, and silky tannin. This balanced effort will evolve for another 1-2 years and drink well through 2017.

Score: 90. —Robert Parker, February 2009.

Wine Spectator

Toasted vanilla and smoke notes accent raspberry and black cherry fruit in this sleek red, which has enough tannins for grip. The fresh finish echoes with dark chocolate and spice. Drink now through 2011.

Score: 90. —Thomas Matthews, February 28, 2009.

Wine Enthusiast

Jammy, rich and a little sweet and reduced on the nose, but once this baby unwinds there’s no stopping it. The palate is exceedingly fresh and exuberant, with strawberry and raspberry flavors. Lively to the end; a fruit-lover’s wine with no leash. Drink sooner than later to capture the wine’s pointed red-fruit essence.

Score: 88. —Michael Schachner, December 15, 2008.