Bodegas Ponce "La Estrecha" Manchuela Bobal 2022

Wine Advocate : 96+ Points

(1/18/2024) For Juan Antonio Ponce, the 2022 La Estrecha is the vintage that better showcases the finesse of Bobal that they have been looking for, which he describes as fine, ethereal, fresh, elegant and intense. The plot has vines over 75 years old, with 90% Bobal and other mixed varieties on granite soils. It fermented with 100% full clusters in a 4,500-liter barrel and matured in a 5,000-liter oak foudre (instead of in 600-liter barrels like in the past) for 10 months. The wines are not fined, filtered or cold stabilized. This has only 12.5% alcohol, which is possible in the Mediterranean. This is very pale, delicate and ethereal, the change in the élevage from barrels to larger foudre seems to have had a big impact in the wine that feels more relaxed. 4,800 bottles produced. Drink Date: 2024 - 2032.