Mustiguillo Atance Bobal 2020
Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesRating: 91+
A relatively new winery, Mustiguillo was created to give a place and prominence to the unheralded varietal Bobal. The owners believe strongly that this grape, when cropped low and harvested later, can produce wines that rival some of the greatest wines of Northern Spain. As such, many of the old vines of the property have been kept (some as old as 90 years old) and new vines of Bobal have been planted as well.
Utiel-Requena lies on a warm, arid plateau at an average of 700 meters above sea level. Mustiguillo owns four distinct parcels scattered throughout the zone including two over 800 meters. Soil structure is quite poor, with low amounts of organic material. Gravel, some clay, and smaller amounts of limestone make up the bulk of the vineyards. Rainfall is lower than the Spanish average and this shortage is thought to contribute to the excellent fruit concentration of these vines.
The Valencia DO wine region is a non-contiguous appellation, with four distinct subzones, surrounding the area beyond Valencia’s capital city. Winemaking in the northern part of this region is dominated by old growing areas surrounding the city. The region was established in 1957.
Historically, bulk wine has been the focal point of the region and cooperatives still handle 85% of total production today. However, winemakers are trying to steadily move away from this and focus more on producing quality wine thanks to a growing group of local innovative winemakers. More importance is being placed on older vines of indigenous (or historic) varieties planted at higher altitudes, which range from 820 - 3,600 feet.
There is growing excitement about the wines being produced from black grapes such as Monastrell, as well as late-ripening white grapes such as Merseguera. The most planted grape, Moscatel de Alejandría, has its own subzone centered around the production of sweet, fortified liqueur wines, called locally Mistela de Moscatel. The region's reds, rosés and whites actually all include dessert wines, each with their own wine-making traditions.
Bobal is enjoying a mini renaissance in Spain today as high-elevation vineyards in its homeland of Utiel-Requena produce dense and velvety wines dominated by dark berry and cocoa characteristics. However, its function as Spain’s second most planted red grape variety was once only for bulk wine and concentrate. Since it is drought-resistant, it does well grown as unirrigated bush vines and acts as a fine voice of terroir. Somm Secret—Bobal also shows great potential for rosé and sparkling wines because of its high levels of acidity and anthocyanins.