2017 Bodegas Langa Hermanos Real De Aragon Garnacha Calatayud Spain 750 ml

There is a certain style of truly fabulous—yet unbelievably affordable—Spanish red that you can really only find in the taverns deep in the cobbled historic district of Zaragoza. Steeped with tradition yet relatively untouristed for its size, the capital of Aragon remains one of the most well-preserved and unapologetically Spanish cities. Which is why we’re convinced that its wine-loving residents hoard the best, most unapologetically Spanish reds all for themselves.

This 2017 Real de Aragon Garnacha from Bodegas Langa Hermanos is one such steal. A sub-$20 style of wine that’s oft’ imitated but rarely achieved, this is the real deal at $14 —an honest to goodness Spanish Tinto that transports us back to the back-alley tabernas of Zaragoza with every sip.

This Garnacha (Spanish for Grenache) earned every one of its 92 points from James Suckling, who called it “Delicious…vivid and dynamic.” It charmed us right out the gate with aromas of peppered crushed blackberries, licorice, tar, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is packed with more blackberry and black cherry fruit, yet takes you by surprise with its purity and depth.

Its complexity comes through with savory notes of seared steak, cracked pepper, and graphite that builds into a beautifully mineral thread. The leathery, bone-dry finish lingers on the palate for a full two minutes, completely overperforming for the price.

Not that this should come as a surprise, given the 34-to46-year-old bush vine Garnacha that went into the 2017 Real de Aragon. Grown in Aragon’s Calatayud DO at an altitude of 2,600 – 3,200 feet and hand-harvested at less than two tons per acre, the sheer effort that goes into farming this wine merits a price that’s at least double what we paid for it.

But the concentration that results from the old vines and elevation is second only to the minerality derived from the wine’s unique combination of iron, sand, schist, and stone soils. Bodegas Langa takes full advantage of its 153-year-old foothold in the region with access to the very best estate plots and some of Calatayud’s oldest vines, without needing to charge extra for the prized real estate.

And indeed, this landscape, home to a winemaking tradition that dates back 2,500 to 3,000 years, grows increasingly sought-after by somms and industry insiders with every passing year. Home to some of the most unique Grenache grown in the world, Calatayud’s wild terrain is as dramatic to describe as it is almost insane to behold (let alone farm). Hilly and parched, in a beautiful desert backdrop worthy of Cervantes, rocky vines poke out of the loose, well-draining soils that result in low yields but excellent quality.

Hot and dry summer days are mitigated by the tremendous diurnal temperature swings at night due to the elevation of Calatayud's top vineyards, like those of Bodegas Langa. Situated on the south-facing slopes of the Sierra de la Virgen mountain range, just southwest of Zaragoza at the foothills of the Pyrenees, that balance of extremes plays into the beautiful poise of wines like the Real de Aragon, resulting in a structural tightrope walk between acidity, alcohol, and tannin.

We’d expect to pay top dollar for that kind of quality elsewhere, which is why Jancis Robinson’s website has called wines from the Calatayud “the next big thing,” aptly comparing its reds to those of both Roussillon and Priorat, even while we think this 2017 Real de Aragon is more like a marriage of dark-fruited Côtes du Rhône and leather-bound Rioja.

With its 92 points, impressive complexity, and endless finish, this 2017 Bodegas Langa Hermanos Real de Aragon stands proudly on its own.