Bonnie Brae Wine & Liquor Mart
785 S. University Boulevard • Denver, CO 80209
Phone: (303) 733-7261

Bodegas San Alejandro
– Calatayud, Spain

“75-100 year-old vines; the greatest wine value Robert Parker had ever tasted!” “A relatively young wine producing region in the Spanish mountains of Aragon Province, about 150 miles northeast of Madrid.”

The Monthly Selection

2007 “Los Rocas Garnacha” San Alejandro 

90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "There are 18,000 cases of the delightful 2007 Las Rocas Garnacha, a wine sourced from Calatayud vineyards ranging in age from 70 to 100 years. Dark ruby in color, it delivers alluring aromas of spice box, mineral, cherry, and black raspberry. Layered on the palate, it has superb depth, succulent flavors, and a pure, lengthy finish. It will provide pleasure over the next three years." (02/09) Consistently one of the most pleasurable wines produced in Spain, the Las Rocas does not dissapoint with their newest release. Sourced from old vine fruit, there is tremendous ripe cherry fruit, mulled spices and a tobacco-laced finish. The wine shows an intense cherry red color, with captivating aromas of vibrant black raspberry and spice box derived from a touch of oak. Exhibiting depth and succulent layers of flavor, the wine is round and full in the mouth; it’s truly a wine that speaks for itself. Always a little stylized but with a beautiful purity of flavor that belies its humble price.

Regular Price $11.99 Web Special $8.99

The Los Rocas Story

For starters, the Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2002 Garnacha was declared the greatest wine value Robert Parker had ever tasted! Wine.com sold out of their allocation of that wine in 20 minutes, and Parker had this to say: "The 2002 Garnacha is fashioned from 75-year old Grenache vines planted on pure slate. Sixty percent was aged in tank, and 40% in neutral wood foudres. There are 20,000 cases of this offering, which may be the greatest wine value I have ever tasted. Deep ruby/purple-colored, with a gorgeous nose of kirsch liqueur intermixed with melted licorice and white flowers, this deep, medium to full-bodied, fruit-driven, sumptuously-textured 2002 is loaded.” – Wine Advocate

Then, Parker stated about this 2003 vintage that: "This is the second vintage for the ambitious project of importer Eric Solomon, who discovered these ancient high altitude Grenache vineyards (70-100 years old), and brand named his offerings Las Rocas. The 2003 Grenache has just been released, and it’s another winner. Moreover, it’s a steal. Aromas of sweet black cherries, raspberries, pepper, and loamy soil soar from the glass of this medium-bodied, surprisingly elegant, personality-filled red. Soft tannin and good depth suggest drinking over the next 1-3 years is warranted" – 88 Points -Wine Advocate And, so it has gone – year after year.

The wine hails from Calatayud, a relatively youngish wine producing region in the Spanish mountains of Aragon Province, about 150 miles northeast of Madrid. Calatayud benefits from a continental climate with vast temperature differences between night and day. Harvests are much later than in other parts of Aragón, and acidity/maturity/alcohol ratios tend to be more balanced. As most of the vineyards lie on what was (thousands of years ago) an old river basin, the soil is comprised of brown limestone and loam over slate and gypsum. This particular soil is also quite good for production of olives, cherries, and other fruits.

It was granted D.O. status in 1990. Las Rocas, as Parker noted, is a special cuvee of very old Grenache vines produced by one of Spain’s best and most progressive cooperatives, Bodegas San Alejandro. However, all aspects of the production of this wine are overseen by its importer, Eric Solomon, and by Jean-Marc Lafarge an extremely talented wine-maker at Domaine Lafarge in France’s Roussillon.

February 2010 SPECIAL FEATURES

Erath Winery – Dundee, Oregon
• 2007 Oregon Pinot Noir
• 2008 Oregon Pinot Gris