Mustiguillo Reviews in The Wine Advocate #217

03.02.15

New Wine Advocate reviewer Luis Gutierrez, based in Spain, recently reviewed the wines from Bodegas Mustiguillo commenting "“The Bobal reds produced by Bodegas Mustiguillo in the Requena area in Valencia are some of the best wines produced in any of the single-vineyards appellation, Denominaciones de Pago, in their case called Pago Finca El Terrerazo.” To download the Mustiguillo reviews, click HERE.

MESTIZAJE TINTO 2013
91 points
“All the reds from this producer are part of their own single-vineyard appellation, El Terrerazo. The 2013 Mestizaje a blend of 78% Bobal and the rest Garnacha, Syrah, Tempranillo and Merlot fermented with the indigenous yeast they have selected from their oldest vineyards and aged separately until after malolactic at which time they are blended and aged in used French barrels. There is no Finca Terrerazo in 2013 because hail damage, so part of the grapes that would normally go into Finca Terrerazo are in this wine; so this is a kind of super-Mestizaje. There is superb integration of the oak here and a very aromatic profile on the nose full of flowers and red berries with hints of aromatic herbs. The pleasant palate is medium-bodied, supple, has very fine tannins, good freshness and is easy to drink. This is the first vintage that this wine is labeled and sold as Vino de Pago. Great value, possibly the best Mestizaje so far.”


FINCA CALVESTRA 2013
91 points
“I tasted two vintages of the pure Merseguera Finca Calvestra. The 2013 Finca Calvestra has a few interesting and unusual facts to share starting with the white local variety it is made from, Merseguera. It is a slightly neutral variety, not easy to work with (high yields, large bunches), but when you control the yields you get white flower notes, Mediterranean herbs and restrained alcohol (13%). This is from vineyards in Requena (but sold without appellation as generic Vino de España) at 920 meters altitude planted with 30-year-old, head-pruned, dry-farmed, organic vines that were re-grafted to Merseguera from Bobal to keep the old root system. The musts fermented with indigenous yeasts in 900-liter stainless steel vats and at the end of the alcoholic fermentation the wine is transferred to barrels, mostly acacia wood barrels (20% new), where the wine matured for one year. Acacia wood can be subtle and in 2013 it feels very well integrated and shows a transparent palate, with elegance and freshness. The wine does not go through malolactic fermentation, as the grape has very low levels of malic acid.”

FINCA TERRERAZO 2011
92 points
“Quite classical, the 2011 Finca Terrerazo is also 100% Bobal, a selection of head-pruned old vineyards planted between 1970 and 1975 and feels quite Mediterranean with notes of dried herbs, plums and blackberries with hints of peat and more developed complexity, with some tertiary notes, elegant within its rusticity, and somehow more subtle. The palate is medium to full-bodied with some tannins, it has good stuffing and good acidity, quite balanced overall, long and with good depth. Today I give the edge to the 2011 over the 2012 (but I think the contrary of the vintages of Quincha Corral).”

QUINCHA CORRAL 2012
94 points
“The 2012 Quincha Corral is a serious, classic old-vine Bobal from head-pruned vineyard planted in 1945 at 800 meters on sand and chalk soils. This is one of the single vineyard appellation wines, DOP El Terrerazo that was fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats and matured for 19 months in French oak barrels. The nose offers notes of plums, some creaminess and some spices on top of well-integrated oak aromas. There is an acute note of licorice intermixed with fennel, aniseed, thyme and rosemary as well. The medium to full-bodied palate has fine tannins and good acidity. The harshness and rusticity of the initial vintages has disappeared and the wine feels more sleek and polished, while keeping the Mediterranean character and the typicity of the Bobal (with its inherent "elegant" rusticity). I tasted 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009, and I can say that 2012 is most likely the best Quincha so far. From 2006 onward it's only Bobal (there was some 10% Bordeaux varieties in the earlier vintages) and the wines age more in a Rhône-style than in a Burgundy one. 2006 was a superb vintage in the Mediterranean arc.”