Manchuela, Spain
Manchuela DO
When Ana and Iván got together for a party with some fellow oenologist friends in 2007, they decided to make some wine and put it in a barrel. The results of this first vintage were astonishing and so Bodegas Gratias was born.
After the success of the first vintage, they realized they had a chance to make a difference. In a region with a declining wine industry, Ana and Iván are on a mission to protect old vineyards of Bobal and other local varieties (like this Tardana), championing the vinous heritage of the area. These wines are artisanal and as natural as they come, being organically grown, fermented with natural occurring yeasts and using only minute sulfur additions, if any.
'Sol' literally tastes like the hot, dry Spanish sun, and the stark, chalky white soils from which it hails. Bright and fresh, like a ray of sunshine. There's some elegant white floral character, ripe orchard fruit and herbaceousness. Wine geeks, you'll want to check off the Tardana box on the must-try grape list.