This month, we're delving into the great values to be found in Spanish Garnacha (Grenache), and present two old vine beauties - one from Cariñena and one from Jumilla.

Hacienda Molleda is a 100% old vine Garnacha from high altitude vineyards in the region of Cariñena. and is another prime example of the great values to be found in Spain.  (If this wine were from anywhere in California,  it would sell for three times the amount!!).


The Granacha produced from these high elevation old vines gives the wine intense aromas and amazing color. Ageing this wine in French oak barrels for 6 months adds structure, spice and complexity, adding notes of smoke and vanilla to the bright cherry and red fruit components.The Hacienda Molleda estate is located in the municipality of Tosos (Zaragoza). It falls within theCariñena Designation of Origin (DO) , a protected region with a wine-making tradition that dates back to the times of the Roman Empire.  91 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2007 Atteca is sourced from even older Garnacha vineyards (120 years). Deeply colored, its nose reveals cedar, smoke, black cherry, Asian spices, and black raspberry. Medium to full-bodied, layered and sweetly-fruited, the wine is nicely balanced and lengthy, ripe and savory, and conceals enough tannin to evolve for a few years.



Recipe  Spanish Style Chicken Livers
Here is a simple dish of chicken livers, quick to prepare, inexpensive, and delicious. Enjoy this with one of the wonderful Garnachas  from this month’s club selection.

For 6 people as a tapa or 4 people as a dish

• 1 1/2lbs chicken livers
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp of plain flour
• 2/3 cup of dry sherry
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• ½ cup water
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Remove all the fat from the chicken livers and then cut them into bite size chunks.

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion and garlic until they are soft - this will take about 15 minutes. Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and save on a plate.

Add the rest of the oil to the frying pan and heat the oil over a high heat. Once the oil is heated add the chicken livers and keep the heat high to seal the livers and stop any of the juices from escaping. Cook the livers for about 5 or 10 minutes stirring often. Remove the livers and save on a plate.
Return the onion and garlic to the frying pan and sprinkle in the flour. Cook this while stirring constantly. Add the sherry and continue stirring, add the water and the tomato puree and stir to mix this through. The texture of the sauce should be quite thick but still a sauce. Some of these quantities can be varied depending on
how you like your sauces.

Return the livers to the frying pan, season well with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes.
You could serve this as a tapa with crusty bread or as a main course with boiled potatoes.

For variations on this you could add a lot less flour and water to have a runnier sauce, you could miss out the tomato puree altogether or you could miss out the flour and add more tomato. All of these options create lovely dishes.

You could also use lamb's liver or kidneys as an alternative.

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