Legado del Moncayo, Campo de Borja (Aragon, Spain) Garnacha 2017

 I love this wine, and I love it every year… and I know that I may be undercutting my “critical” credibility by writing that.  But the truth is that this wine hits just the right balance points vintage after vintage.  Sourced from a higher elevation vineyard site than Legado del Moncayo’s “regular” bottling, it shows more concentrated, gutsier fruit, with a more notable suggestion of a little wood influence.  But then again, any wood influence is just “suggested,” and the fruit still stands at center stage — albeit with unusually good structure for a wine in this price category.  The flavors recall both red and black cherries, with just a hint of spice and a subtle savory layer running beneath the fruit flavors.  Whereas the “regular” Legado del Moncayo is suited to poultry or fish, this starts in terms of suitability at poultry and works its way up to pork, veal or duck…and would be entirely satisfying with a burger.