WINES

In our Specifications and Regulations you can consult the types of wines permitted to be made in our region. The range of wines is ample and here we will describe the most common, high lighting the red wines produced from the red garnacha.

Modern production technologies have produced a new generation of young reds, rosé and white wines. And taking into consideration market demands at the head of the list we have put the red wines left lightly in the barrel that give them the aromas characteristic of the wood while keeping the fruitiness of a young wine.

In general, the production process does not differ greatly from those carried out in other regions, the fermentation taking place in innox vats or in wood barrels. The aging process is as detailed in the Specifications and Regulations of the D.O.P. Calatayud and in current Spanish Legislation.

Mainly the Macabeo variety, which is common throughout the Ebro Valley and perfectly adapted to the climate of the Calatayud DO region. The wine stands out due to its fruitiness, mainly apple and grapefruit, and the freshness which comes with its acidity. This wine has become relevant amongst the wines which come from the vineyards on the Ribota axis and the left bank of the River Jalón.

The Grenache Blanc variety has always had a certain presence in the vineyards of Calatayud, but the Macabeo has dominated due to its high fruit yield as it doesn’t suffer from “poor fruit set” as is the case with the Grenache Blanc. Its wines are original and lately a number of producers have put faith in this new variety by planting new vines. As you have seen white wines only represent 8% of total production.

Normally these wines are elaborated using the red Garnacha variety, light pink in colour, strawberry and varietal aromas, which in Calatayud manifests itself through rose petal aromas, along with red fruits such as raspberry. In general these wines are intense on the palate, easy and fresh. As with the whites, the rosés come from vineyards on the left bank of the River Jalón resulting fresher due to their greater acidity, whereas on the right bank the wines possess a more floral quality.

The red wine of the Garnacha variety represents the essence of Calatayud wines. The colour of the wines is a mild intense cherry colour, varietal aromas of dark fruits, blackberries and gooseberries, and the spicy quality which stands out of cinnamon and clove, as does the minerality or mineral aroma. Balanced wines due to the freshness provided by the tartaric acidity, they are easy, fleshy and big on the palate. In red wines this is expressed fully with the “terroir” effect, and a more complete maturing process along with the presence of polyphenol compounds, means that the climatic conditions acquire a greater relevance in the quality of red wines.

In the DO of Calatayud, and specifically with red wines of the Garnacha variety, generally the factors expressed above are clear to see. In general, the red wines grown on soils of slate and quartzite formed in the Cambrian period are known for their greater minerality and spices in their aromas, while soils from the period of the Miocene, a more clayey earth, yield wine with a greater fruitiness.

The wines that stand out from the rest are sold under the under the label “Calatayud Superior”.

These wines are made using grapes of a variety of red garnacha that are more than 50 years old and with low yields that don’t surpass 3,500 kilograms per hectare. They contain a minimum of 85% wine from the red garnacha variety and the remaining 15% with wine from other authorised varieties. They are wines of a picota cherry red, with aromas of fruits of the forest and red berries, their aromatic intensity allows through mineral and balsamic tones, wrappedwith a touch of clean wood. Easy on the mouth, tasty, with and intense concentration of fruit and toasted tones, these wines leave an agreeable after taste.