Wine of the Week

Rubus 2018 – Bodega Jesús Romero

D.O. – Vino de España

Varieties – Garnacha & Tempranillo

ABV - 14%

€7.90 - Bodeboca.com

¡Teruel existe! has become the totem for Spain’s rural to urban migration over the last few decades. A rallying cry for those who feel Spain’s rural population has been largely forgotten by central government. The Teruel in question is a city of around 35,000 inhabitants in Spain’s Aragon region. It’s a city known for its Mudéjar architecture, its remoteness and its often brutal climate. 

At over 900m above sea level this is not natural wine country. Those brave enough to attempt viticulture in this neck of the woods must contend with extreme conditions. Frost and hail is a constant threat. But there’s also a clear benefit; in these days of climate change altitude can stave off the more pernicious perils of increased temperatures.

Jesús Romero and Juanvi Alcañiz, who run the project in tandem, are both locals who know this inhospitable terrain like the back of their hand. Juanvi is also technical director at Calatayud’s Bodegas San Alejandro, one of Aragon’s largest cooperatives, but this, as a native of the village he tells me, is his real labour of love. They work 10 hectares of vine, principally Garnacha, Tempranillo & Syrah, in the village of Rubielos de Mora and the name of their entry-level wine, Rubus, will give Latin speakers a big clue as to its profile. 

Yes, wild blackberries abound on the nose backed by a wonderful spine of acidity that marks this out as a high-altitude wine. It’s medium bodied with silky tannins and a peppery tingle on the gums. There’s also a beguiling finish to it as the liquorice, wild rosemary and smokiness of the blend vie for contention. It doesn’t see any oak so this is two of Spain’s indigenous varieties in their purest form. Rubus drinks like a more expensive wine so at €7.90 a bottle here it’s a steal and worth buying just to do your bit for one of the many Spanish villages that are in danger of disappearing from the map if not for the work of its hardy winemakers.