At last week's South American & Iberian Portfolio Tasting, we had a chance to catch up with Juan Antonio Ponce of Bodegas Ponce, to discuss the key differences between his five bottlings of Bobal. And though Bobal is a varietal that was once reserved for rosé, it has since been catapulted into the 21st Century by the hands of Juan and his father, who have been organically and biodynamically farming ...
Juan Antonio Ponce began his Bodegas Ponce in 2005, at the age of 23. He works biodynamically in the vineyard, and in the winery he takes a natural approach, using low levels of sulfur dioxide. His philosophy is to make natural wines with wild yeast fermentation, to respect the local varietal Bobal and to express its terroir. The winemaking process begins with hand harvesting. The bunches of grapes are then chilled to 8 degrees C and fermented...
They farm traditionally, avoiding irrigation whenever possible, and as they’ve grown, they’ve constructed their buildings with energy-conscious materials and air conditioning. Ponce shows a mastery of the native Bobal grape variety, but also uses varieties like Albilla, Moravia Agria, Monastrell, and Garnacha. They hand-pick everything earlier than most regional producers to give their wines, particularly Bobal, fresh acidity.
After chilling the clusters to 8°C, they ferment their grapes whole cluster—a technique known as “remango,” which was once popular in Rioja. Juan Antonio still works with his father in the vineyards, and his two children now assist with winemaking. He might have gained renown as a leader of Manchuela winemaking and a Bobal whisperer, but he hasn’t forsaken his mission to keep family at the center of his bodega.
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