A true Local-Global Selection and an exclusive selection from my 2018 buying trip to Spain.
Regular AWM customers know I love to find wines produced by small family driven entities that are a bit off the beaten path. Their wines are usually super authentic expressions of their home region, and the bonus is that they’re quite often amazing values as well!
I had the pleasure of visiting Bodegas Ovidio García January last during my buying trip to Northern Spain. We ducked into the Bodega on our last day in the country and it turned out to be one of the highlights of my entire trip.
Cigales -- a little known region in north central Spain
Rustic and Authentic
Cigales is a 90-minute drive west of Ribera del Duero in the province of Valladolid. If you’re looking for glitzy and glamorous winery tours, Cigales should not be your chosen destination. While there are a small hand-full of larger wineries, the region is mostly comprised of tiny family-run operations that are literally holes in the ground.
There are over 1200 of these tiny underground wineries dotting the Cigales landscape. These humps of dirt and stone have doors leading to under-ground wineries, creating an atmosphere that would make Hobbits feel perfectly at home! The majority of these underground facilities were constructed centuries ago and some still boast structures and equipment dating back to Roman times.
Temranillo in Cigales
n Cigales, Tempranillo is king and locally, the grape is known as Tinta del Pais. The region has a true continental climate with long, blisteringly hot summers and cold winters, with just enough Atlantic maritime influence to temper the extremes and extend the growing season. It’s a perfect place to grow Tempranillo, and the family is lucky enough to own 18 hectares of 60-100 year-old vines in one of the best areas of the region.
An AWM find and exclusive selection
For centuries, the Ovidio García family has been working the land and making wine in Cigales. Through the years, their philosophy of hard work, tradition and strict adherence to quality hasn’t missed a beat and is evident in the current generation. Ovidio García and his sons Enrique, Alberto, and Javier work the vineyards much like previous generations, avoiding chemicals and pesticides while performing most of the work without mechanized equipment.
Their winery is a small underground maze built centuries ago with additional levels added gradually over the generations. The oldest levels were built entirely by hand and thanks to the perfect temperature and humidity they are still used today to mature wine both in barrel and bottle.
The cellar is also home to a Roman Wine Press, an ancient predecessor to the modern basket press. The device was used to press grapes and dates back to biblical times. The press was still in full operation by Ovidio’s father and was retired in the early 1960s. It’s currently preserved in the winery as a museum piece.
I just can’t say enough about this wine — it’s easily one of my all-time top favorite finds from a buying trip.
The village, the history, the Roman Press and of course the García family are all amazing, so it comes as no surprise that their wines are amazing as well. If you’re a fan of reds from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, you’ll absolutely love the wines from the Garcia family.
Add part Rioja, part Ribera, and a pinch of well-aged Bordeaux, the lift of Nebbiolo, and you arrive at the 2014 OG Esencia Crianza. In your glass, the first sniff will let you know it’s from Spain. The classic toasty notes of French and American oak aging wrap around complex red berry aromas. On the palate, the lush texture is nicely framed by soft dusty tannins that will remind you of a perfectly aged Bordeaux. The lengthy finish lingers with polished notes of coffee, chocolate, and vanilla. Pair this wine with any preparation of lamb, Osso Bucco, richer pork dishes, and leaner cuts of beef, such as fillet.
Bodegas Ovidio García
2014 OG Esencia Crianza- Can't make it in? Call 828-253-0060 with your credit card number.
We'll hold your purchase in our temperature controlled cellar for pickup at your convenience
or we'll arrange for delivery.