Bodegas Frontonio is a dream come true for former engineer, Fernando Mora, who teamed up fellow wine lover, Mario Lopez, when they formed their small estate in the remote and rugged hills of Valdejalon, southwest of Zaragoza in the Aragon region of northeast Spain. Looking for the perfect terroir to produce the style of wine they loved to drink, they discovered and ultimately revived an incredibly old vineyard called El Jardin de las Iguales. They also renovated a nearby 200-year-old house, complete with a wine cave three stories deep. After 10 years of operating in a temporary facility, in 2019, they were finally able to produce their first vintage from their new site.

Beginning as home winemakers, Fernando and Mario have always valued the traditional grapes of the region, especially Garnacha (Grenache), and chose to farm their 64 hectares of vineyards in an organic fashion; harvesting by hand, trodding the freshly harvested grapes by foot and taking a very minimalist approach to vinification and aging. Their dark, cold cellar houses a huge variety of tanks and barrels of all sizes and types, which Fernando employs as dictated by the nature of the young wine. The climate of the district is also beneficial to growing ripe, healthy grapes and making concentrated, balanced wines. The cold ‘cierzo’ winds temper the hot weather, allowing the grapes to retain their natural acidity.

Considering the credentials of the 2021 El Casetero Garnacha, Frontonio’s entry-level wine, 100% certified organic, estate-grown, dry-farmed, head-pruned vines, foot-trodden and fermented with indigenous yeasts, you’d expect the wine to be priced alongside their more expensive single-vineyard, old-vine cuvees. Fortunately, the El Casetero is priced for everyday enjoyment. Its bright, juicy, spicy character, all hallmarks of well-made Grenache, is simply gulp-able.