2019 Chapillon Cuvee Paul Calatayud 750 ml

Some truly phenomenal wine regions have thrived for decades outside the gaze of the mainstream—underrated ancient-vine Edens like Calatayud, Spain, whose intensely concentrated grapes deliver some of the greatest values in red wine. 

Grown on gnarled, 70-year old vines, this wine would be right at home in the more expensive regions of the Southern Rhône. Plump and luxurious on the palate, it boasts gorgeous black-fruit flavors interspersed with fruit-leather tannins. Depths of spice, herbs, and meat imbue the wine with a savory complexity reminiscent of its French counterparts. It’s all carried to a finish so satisfying that we wasted no time claiming the only Stateside bottles for Wine Access members.

Spain’s sweltering, dry summer of 2019 had growers wringing their hands, fearing hydric stress and crop loss. But early September brought relief: Well-timed showers provided much-needed moisture, allowing the grapes to hang on into October, achieving optimum ripeness while maintaining lively acidity. When wines made from tiny clusters hit the barrel, winemakers began touting them as some of the most richly concentrated of the decade—especially those drawn from old vines like Christophe Chapillon’s layered and full-flavored 2019 Cuvée Paul. 

Christophe Chapillon grew up in a winemaking family based in the Loire Valley, and he recognized the potential in Calatayud’s rocky soils years ago. In 2006, he decamped from France and founded Chapillon Wines in collaboration with Juan and César Langa Gonzalez, whose vineyards have been in their family since 1867. Chapillon parlayed his French winemaking touch and the Langas’ prime vineyard into great success, turning Chapillon Wines into one of the definitive producers in Calatayud.