The UnCorker

2005 Bodegas Almanseñas Almansa La Huella de Adaras

April 14, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

Almansa has a tough reputation.   A windswept and battered landscape, it was the site of a crushing defeat for the British army in the War of the Spanish Seccession in 1707.  There is a saying among the Valencians, their neighbors to the north-east – Quan el mal ve d’Almansa, a tots alcança (“Evil things spare no one when they come from Almansa.”)  Up until recently, this maxim would accurately describe the (mostly bulk) wine exported from this D.O.   However, Almansa is sitting on a viticultural sleeper – the Garnacha Tintoera varietal (also known as alicante here) – which is, itself, a bad-ass muscle car of a grape and is the main focus in this region.  It’s not even related to regular Garnacha (Grenache), so don’t try too hard to compare it.  So thick-skinned is this varietal that in the 19th century, during its American heyday,  it used to be grown in California and vinified in New York (after a 7 day unrefrigerated train ride through the American south and west).   But in Almansa, the grape has been a key part of their post-phylloxera replanting strategy because it is high-yielding, a vigorous grower, and is scrappy enough to get a wine industry quickly up and on it’s feet again.  And unlike neighboring Jumilla, whose focus is on the softer and more finessed Monastrell variety, Almansa is committed to working with this problem child.  They don’t even grow much alicante in Alicante D.O.  That’s just how loco these Almansans are!

The La Huella de Adaras is made by a conscientious Priorat winemaker named Ester Nin, and is stunningly priced at around $12 (in US) & $10 (in Europe) Widely available, this is emerging as the work-horse bottling that is redefining the region.  It consistently has gotten good press, and deservedly so.   The grapes are Garnacha Tintoera(60%), Monastrell(30%), and Syrah(10%).  The wine is a crianza, but sees no  wood.  It’s aged entirely in steel or cement containers and in bottle.  Results are a medium bodied, fresh wine with surprising minerality and zippy angular tannins.   Fragrant nose of thyme, eucalyptus, flint, lavendar and secondary aromas from the dark, briary fruit.  Good juicy acidity and heat from the 14% alcohol. Notes of cocoa and spice.  A bit rough around the edges initially, and with too much time (such as on the second day it’s been open) it’s perfumy qualities become overbearing – but with this amount of outsized personality – it remains one of the great steals in budget wine.  We’re reviewing the 2005 because it has a good reputation and there is still plenty of it out there, but you’ll also find the 2006 (which we missed).  The 2007 is just hitting North American markets so check back to the UnCorker for an updated review shortly.