Bodegas Ponce Manchuela Clos Lojen Viñas Viejas Bobal 2025

Viejas Bobal, the grape variety you shouldn't miss

Juan Antonio Ponce proves like no other that you can simply make brilliant wines from unknown grape varieties in obscure wine regions. This remarkable Spanish winemaker graduated as an oenologist at just 17. After a few years alongside legend Telmo Rodriguez, he started his own bodega at the age of 23. He is now regarded as the leading authority in his Manchuela wine region and as a true Bobal expert.

What makes Juan Antonio's wines so good is their unparalleled finesse and elegance. The Bobal grape can produce quite rustic, alcoholic wines, especially in combination with the hot Spanish climate. Those from Bodegas Ponce, on the other hand, are juicy and fresh, with a pure fruit expression and a very modest alcohol content. This is partly due to the cooler location of the vineyards and partly to Ponce's working methods, which are strongly influenced by biodynamics and the French vin nature movement.

 

The magnificent Clos Lojen serves as Juan Antonio's calling card. It is made from Bobal grapes from forty to sixty-year-old vines from various plots in Villanueva de la Jara and Iniesta. Juan Antonio harvests the grapes by hand and ferments them using indigenous yeasts. After fermentation, he ages the wine for seven months in large, used French oak barrels. He bottles the Bobal unfiltered and unfined.

It results in a pure, subtle red wine with juicy fruit, refined tannins, and a complexity you wouldn't expect in this price range. Drink it on its own, or paired with a piece of pâté, roast chicken, or soft, creamy cheese. Highly recommended!