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Mondongo

This label can be a bit controversial (vegetarians look away now) but we chose the name after attending a pig matanza a few years ago. We were glad to arrive after the actual slaughter but it was fascinating seeing the local community come together to make the most of every last part of the pig, taking way the prime cuts and then dealing with the bits and bobs that were left over: and these bits and bobs are called the Mondongo.

We names this wine for a similar reason: this wine is made of bits of parcels from around our estate. The unifying theme here is the terroir and the mountain herbs. The image is piecemeal too, to reflect this mix of different elements that come together to create something wonderful

Dos dedos de frente

Well, what can we say about this cheeky little label? We love celebrating sayings from popular culture that caught our attention when we first came to live in Spain. This wine is called Dos Dedos de Frente (Two Fingers of forehead).

More or less, when you say someone doesn’t have two fingers of forehead, it means that they aren’t very bright. The S and V refer to the grape varieties in this wine: Syrah and Viognier. When we started working with viognier in this region many years ago, it wasn’t permitted in the DO and despite petitions to the DO it remains an unpermitted variety. Someone from another Bodega put in a complaint about us and, after a slightly tense meeting where we got a telling off, we took the decision to move our wines outside the DO. And then along came the idea for this label as a cheeky little homage to the rule makers.

En sus Trece

This is another wine from our range celebrating the life of Papa Luna. Benedicto XIII was asked to give up his papacy in Avignon. He refused, instead insisting on remaining as the 13th Pope. Today, “quedarse en sus trece” to stay in your thirteen, meaning to stand your ground, stick to your guns, not back down, is a popular saying in Spain. The label depicts an example of mudejar ceramic art found in one of the Luna family palaces in Calatayud. It bears the Luna family crest with its crescent moon against a background of a geometric decorative motif, typically found in churches throughout Aragón. You can see examples of mudejar architectural details in Calatayud in this web page.

Es lo que hay

This label is the essence of simplicity. The name is a popular saying that caught our attention many years ago when we were new to Spain. At times it was frustrating to hear because it meant that the person who said it was not open to looking for solutions to a problem (usually administrative!) but we have come to enjoy a slightly different interpretation of this saying: It is what it is. It is simply that. And that simplicity perfectly encapsulates this wine. It is beautiful old vine garnacha grown on slate soils which form the image you can see on the label. This wine is unoaked and is simply a straightforward expression of the terroir and vines.

El Puño - Red and White

This label originally featured a beautifully elegant drawing of a hand holding a bunch of grapes. It was an hommage to the long, long tradition of vineyard and winery workers down through the centuries and won design awards and even featured in a book of the most interesting wine labels in the world. But, for legal reasons we were forced to change it and this was our reaction. Whilst maintaining the original name (the fist), this label is a fierce declaration of the energy and dedication that goes into working the land and maintaining this beautiful industry. The label features a drawing of the winemaker’s hand covered in grape juice.