2021 Ponce La Xara Garnacha

WINEMAKER: Juan Antonio Ponce
REGION: Manchuela, SP
VARIETY: Grenache
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic

The 2021 La Xara is the latest bottled vintage of their pure Garnacha from a vineyard that benefited from the extra rain from the year and ripened slowly to perfection. They think they achieved more Garnacha typicity here but keeping the freshness and fluidity. It's only 12.5% alcohol and has a mellow 3.6 pH and five grams of acidity. The full clusters fermented in 4,500-liter oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in 600-liter barrel and 10,000-liter oak vats with the fine lees for seven months. This is austere and serious, with a reticent nose, contained ripeness and a sharp and mineral palate more in the style of a Garnacha from Gredos. 15,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2022.

Manchuela & viticulture are in Juan Antonio's blood, he was only 14 when he started his winemaking degree. He has worked across Spain with Telmo Rodriguez and even a stint with Marcel Lapierre in Beaujolais! He came home at the humble age of 23 to start his own project, the idea to showcase Manchuela through a different lens; Low crop levels, Biodynamic farming and fresher wine styles. Working with his father they planted the family property to a mix of Bobal, Monastrell, Morvia Agria, Garnacha and the local white, Albilla. Alongside there own original holdings they have purchased older vineyards throughout the region amasing a total of 35ha under vine, again this is all managed organically or biodynamically and by hand, a HUGE feat indeed.