Until recently, the wines of Spain’s landlocked Manchuela region went largely unnoticed. Despite being home to some of the country’s oldest vineyards, the area was just a small part of the vast La Mancha DOP, and the majority of the juice was sold off to be blended. Even now, most wine drinkers have never heard of Bobal, the area’s principal grape variety. But recently, the wines of one producer have built a reputation among critics and those in the know. They have attracted massive scores, while remaining exceptionally well priced. True fine wine bargains are rare - but the old vine Bobals of Juan Antonio Ponce are among them.
Ponce (pronounced PON-thay) has around 70 hectares of old to very old vineyards - mostly of Bobal, with other red grapes including Monastrell and Garnacha, as well as the white Abilla. Farming is organic. At the winery, fermentation takes place in French oak vats with wild yeasts, and there is no fining or filtration. This classical, pure approach produces wines that reveal the quality of each individual site in fine detail. The reds combine a herbal freshness with beautifully plush tannins - elegance and fabulous drinkability in a bottle. The whites are full of freshness and minerality.
As things stand now, the Ponce range offers unrivalled value for money, with everything from the entry level ‘Clos Lojen’ to the own-rooted ‘P.F.’ delivering complexity way above its price point.
