|
2021 Bodegas Ponce "Ponce"
Manchuela, La Mancha, Spain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A short drive west of Valencia, at the eastern edge of La Mancha, Juan Antonio Ponce farms the obscure Bobal grape with great care. His vineyards and winery are in the little-known appellation of Manchuela, and his flagship “Ponce” is the finest example of this grape we’ve tasted.
With a Burgundy-like elegance, this intriguing red yields black cherry and wet pebble notes on the nose along with hints of nuttiness and lingering cedar and blue flower tones. From the first taste, it's clear that refinement and nuance, rather than power and intensity, are what this wine is all about. The wine delicately and brightly coats the tongue with ripe black and dark red fruits, minerality and fresh herbs. The finish has a serious structure that feels easy and inviting, a quality found in the world’s best bottles. Here’s the 97-Point Wine Advocate review...
“The 2021 Ponce has a moderate 12.5% alcohol, lower than the 2022 that I also tasted next to it, which references a cooler year in which he decided to age the wine in 600-liter oak barrels, which allowed him to include smaller lots into the final blend. It feels very young and lively, a wine that is going to age nicely in bottle. It has an expressive nose combining floral, berry and herbal notes, but somehow it lacks the ethereal quality of the 2022 that I tasted next to it. 3,800 bottles were filled in September 2022. Drink Date: 2024 - 2034.”
- 97 Points, Wine Advocate (1/18/2024)
Only 320 cases of this beauty were bottled. At this price, it is a truly extraordinary opportunity.
Cyber Monday Price: 49.99
| 
