'Depaula' Monastrell 2023 92WA
Bodegas Ponce
Manchuela, Spain

$17.99 on 6+ (code: 6saves2)
Reg $19.99
Mix & Match OK

92 pts Wine Advocate
The Monastrell red 2021 Depaula comes from vines at 700 meters in altitude on very poor soils, and sometimes the grapes don't ripen properly; but that was not the case in 2021, when the vines had enough water to ripen all the grapes thoroughly and produced a wine with very pure varietal character. It's fresh, balsamic and herbal, with a limestone core that delivers length and freshness coupled with a juicy Mediterranean character. Really good value. The wine has an incredible 12.5% alcohol. It's quite different from the 2020; they picked the grapes 15 days later than normal, and the grapes ripened properly, keeping a very low alcoholic degree. Funnily enough, it has darker aromas and rougher tannins. 20,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2022. The 2022 will be certified organic, as they are in the three-year period of conversion.

Winery "This wine emerged almost by accident. Depaula Monastrell is a wine that works very well thanks to its energy and liveliness. However, its journey has been far from smooth. All in the name of achieving a surprisingly fresh and nervy Monastrell.

The truth is that this wine, which is named after the first-born daughter of this winemaker since she was born in 2012, has been through different vineyards. It all began when Juan Antonio advised a family of winegrowers in the Tobarra area (D.O. Jumilla) and they paid him for his services in grapes of the Monastrell variety. It was then that he came up with the idea of making a wine in the name of his newborn daughter, Depaula Monastrell. A single-variety wine made with grapes that stand out for maintaining a surprising acidity for a Monastrell and, for this reason, Ponce has been forced to constantly search for vineyards that meet the needs of this very special wine. So much so that the first vintage of this wine belonged to the D.O. Jumilla, whereas some vintages were never released because they did not reach excellence, and others were part of Vinos de la Tierra. However, if you keep trying, you get there eventually, and finally, in Villanueva de la Jara, where they have their winery, they have found the Monastrell this wine deserves. A grape that is part of the D.O. Manchuela, which lies 700 metres above sea level on very poor calcareous soils and is cultivated in a respectful way. The grapes are harvested by hand with a very low alcohol content and wonderful acidity. In the winery, the grapes are fermented in 4500-litre wooden vats with their own yeasts and 80% of the stems. Finally the wine is aged in 15,000 litre foudres for 7 months.

From the point of view of getting the purest varietal character, Depaula Monastrell is a Monastrell that is completely different to what we are used to in the Mediterranean. A wine that surprises for its great freshness and one that will make you fall in love because of its great price. An opportunity you can’t miss."

• Varietal: 100% Monastrell
• ABV: 12.5%
• Harvest Technique: By hand
• Soil: calcerous soils 700 meters a.s.l.
• Fermentation: It fermented with 80-100% stems with indigenous yeast in 4,500-liter oak vats
• Elevage: It matured for 7 months in 15HL foudres before being bottled.