Southeastern Spain’s Utiel-Requena is not a D.O. one would usually associate with classically structured wines of balance and nuance, mostly due to the “quantity-over-quality” mentality that has afflicted Southern Spain, and specifically the Bobal grape. With 90,000 hectares under vine, Bobal is the third most planted grape variety in all of Spain. The high-yielding vine was historically regarded as only useful for simple, acidic red & rosé wines destined for the local Co-Op. Recently, a handful of quality-minded growers, using artisanal farming and vinification, are producing highly individual wines with true complexity.
Founded in 1945 by Francisco Martinez Bermell, Vera de Estenas has been crafting wines from their 47 hectares of estate fruit since their inception. Situated at 800m elevation near the mouth of the Estenas river near the foot of the Sierra del Remedio mountains, their en vaso trained vineyards run northwest to southeast along a broad swath of calcareous clay soils. Summer brings scorching heat, but a cooling wind called the Solano brings relief, and nighttime temperatures can drop substantially due to the high elevation, helping to preserve acidity in the grapes.
This 100% Bobal is fermented in concrete tanks and old American barrels. This medium bodied red shows a beautiful intense dark cherry color. Notes of dark fruit and plum with some herbaceousness. Medium soft tannins and medium acidity. A very versatile wine and an excellent value.
