Juanvi Rubielos de Mora Tinto 2022

If Spain had a Wyoming, it would be Aragon. It’s the country’s second least populated region, and has become something of a poster child for the effect Spaniards call “España Vaciada,” or which translates to “empty” or “abandoned” Spain. Locals are doing what they can to draw attention to their region, and Juan Vicente “Juanvi” Alcañiz is no exception.

In the high elevation town of Rubelios de Mora, in the very southern tip of Aragon, he’s making what he calls mountain wines, or “viñedos de montaña.” Alongside his longtime vineyard manager Melchor Ramos, he resurrects abandoned vineyards and plants new ones in promising sites. They farm organically and ferment with native yeasts, staying as true as possible to the local terroir.

This Grenache and Tempranillo blend from vineyards in Rubielos de Mora is fermented in stainless and raised in concrete. It’s a high altitude, highly drinkable Grenache with notes of blackberry, raspberry, and graphite that has us daydreaming about trekking through the rugged peaks of Aragon, on the hunt for lost vineyards and young innovators like Juanvi.