Winemaker Notes
Aromas of juicy blackberry and boysenberries. A smooth, medium bodied red with a hints of spice, mineral and earthy notes. It has a nice minerally acid that holds this well-structured wine together. Complete with a clean and fresh finis
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The entry-level Bobal 2019 Clos Lojen mixes grapes from two villages, Villanueva de la Jara and Iniesta. The grapes fermented with full clusters in 4,500-liter oak vats and matured in 10,000- and 15,000-liter oak vats for six months. It started with a strong nose reminiscent of carbonic maceration, but it soon turned into more licorice and serious aromas. This comes from a zone that ripens early, so the grapes were picked before the rain. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, and it's very tasty with moderate alcohol and good freshness, making it very versatile with food. It feels like a very complete vintage for this super affordable bottling, in line with the 2017; it has depth and is more serious than what the price might suggest. Great value! This is the first certified-organic vintage of this wine.
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.
The Moors gave it the name, ‘Manxa,’ which fittingly means ‘parched earth.’ La Mancha, the largest Spanish wine producing region in all of Spain, is one of its hottest and driest. Sturdy and drought-resistant white varieietes like Airen, Viura and Verdejo thrive in this environment.