NEW RELEASES:
2022 La Xara, Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce
£150 per 12 bottle case in bond
2022 Depaula, Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce
£135 per 12 bottle case in bond
'Quality like this, in wines at this level, isn’t commonplace'
Following our highly successful offer of 2021 Ponce from Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce (pronounced ‘pon-thay’) in which every case sold in 48 hours, I am pleased to share with you an offer of two other wines from the same producer – both tasted last week. My clients make fun of me for describing certain offers as ‘a snip’, but frankly, call it what you will, and I am prepared to take the ribbing, these are outstanding values…..I can almost hear them now! However I am happy to assert that quality like this, in wines at this level, isn’t commonplace.
First, a refresher on the background :
This small estate was founded by Juan Antonio Ponce in 2005 at the age of 23. His family had been growing grapes in the region for generations but had not previously bottled their own wines. Their estate is situated in Manchuela, due west of Valencia. Bobal is the dominant grape variety in this territory and, together with Ribera del Júcar and Utiel-Requena, Manchuela completes the trio of Denominación de Origen. The Ponce family owns over 50 hectares of vineyard today in the villages of Iniesta, Villanueva de la Jara, Villamalea and Mahora, yet tends to produce small volumes of multiple wines from different parcels. Juan Antonio’s approach is to express the differences between the vineyards and today his estate is farmed according to biodynamic principles. The estate is best known for the wines produced from the often-overlooked Bobal grape variety, but he also grows Garnacha (Grenache) and Monastrell (Mourvedre).
The winemaking approach at Ponce is remarkably traditional, though very little sulphur dioxide is used to preserve the wines. The aim is to produce wine as naturally as makes sense. The grapes are fermented with their stems, as is an increasing trend in modern-day Burgundy. The stems, when ripe, are a valuable source of tannins and add a spicy complexity to the resultant wines. Considerable care is taken to avoid extracting harsh tannins from the skins of the fruit; Bobal and Monastrell are thick skinned varieties, whereas Garnacha is naturally lower in tannins. The wines are usually aged in large barrels of 600 litres for 10-12 months before being bottled. As you might expect from their approach, no fining or filtration is employed.
The alcohol levels are always low with the Ponce wines (relative to the specific grape variety) – the grapes invariably achieve a slow, even ripeness at altitude (largely 600 to 700 metres). They are never low in acidity either. Take Monastrell – you could easily expect 14-15% alcohol in a lower lying vineyard in such a climate but here it as a mere 12.5% and while Garnacha can push even higher in some instances, here too it is at that same freshness-enhancing level. This makes achieving balance an easy task as the balance is naturally attained in the vineyard. The Ponce style is all about elegance and balance and if you haven’t tried them, they are a complete revelation.
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2022 La Xara, Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce
£150 per 12 bottle case in bond
This is a pure Garnacha that has been given the ‘Ponce’ treatment – by that I mean admirably ripe fruit handled with care so a gentle extraction that produces terrific aromatics and harnesses the variety’s finesse and elegance. If you are a fan of the Garnacha from Gredos, you are going to be interested here, as it offers aromas that capture notes of scented, lightly spiced raspberry and loganberry, a palate that is at once juicy, yet retains just a touch of austerity, underscored as it is by stony mineral notes. The overriding impression is of a remarkably pure wine, waves of vibrant red fruits which pick up a touch of spiciness from the full cluster fermentation. Long, persistent and beguiling. Another success from Ponce and a frighteningly more-ish wine; rewarding and individual. Drink now-2028.
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2022 Depaula, Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce
£135per 12 bottle case in bond
This is a pure Monastrell, but like no Monastrell I have tasted before. Again, this is fermented with full clusters and fits the style of the Ponce stable of wines. It reveals that floral tinged, blue/ black fruit character on the nose, with something a little wild too, hedgerow fruits and a slightly herbal, savoury nuance. The palate has such clarity, wonderfully textural, with such finely expressed tannins, that do nothing to impinge upon the marked juiciness of the style. This is unmistakably Monastrell, but in a completely different guise to what you might normally encounter from Spain or the south of France. The finish is long, flowing with those finely etched tannins and the freshness carrying the fruit to a long conclusion. Wow. Another highly individual, compelling wine from Ponce. Drink now-2029.
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