{"title":"Bodegas Ponce","description":"\u003cp\u003eJuan Antonio Ponce has become the leading authority on Bobal, a variety long dismissed as a rustic workhorse for bulk wine. Based in the high-altitude plateau of Manchuela, south of Madrid, Ponce has spent two decades proving that when treated with the same reverence as Grand Cru Burgundy or Northern Rhône Syrah, these old, dry-grown vines produce some of the most elegant reds in Spain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Ponce style is defined by a deep respect for heritage and a specific winemaking philosophy shaped by his time in France. He works exclusively with his family’s ancient vineyards, some over 80 years old, situated at elevations of 800 meters and higher. The limestone and clay soils provide a distinct mineral skeleton, while the cool nights at this altitude preserve the natural acidity that makes his wines so nimble.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the cellar, Ponce utilizes 100% whole-bunch fermentation and carbonic maceration - techniques he brought back from Beaujolais. This approach strips away the heavy, tannic reputation of the Bobal grape, replacing it with bright perfume, crunchy fruit, and fine-grained texture. Winemaking is stripped-back and traditional, using indigenous yeasts and maturation in large, seasoned oak vats rather than small new barrels to ensure the site and vintage speak louder than the wood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite massive critical acclaim, Ponce remains committed to affordability. These are artisanal, low-yield wines that offer what many critics consider the best quality-to-price ratio in the Old World. From the high-energy \"entry\" wines to the pinnacle single-parcel releases, Ponce has successfully redefined the potential of Spanish Mediterranean viticulture, creating sophisticated, world-class wines that remain accessible.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"2024-ponce-clos-lojen-bobal","title":"2024 Ponce Clos Lojen Bobal","description":"\u003cp\u003eClos Lojen is the entry point into the Ponce world, and it remains one of the greatest \"case-buy\" bargains in Spain. Sourced from seven different parcels of 40- to 60-year-old vines, it’s designed to be a pure, high-energy expression of Bobal. Because Juan Antonio uses 100% whole-bunches and carbonic maceration - a nod to his time spent in Beaujolais - the fruit stays incredibly bright and \"crunchy.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2024 season saw lower yields due to an ongoing drought, which has given the wine a bit more structure and muscle than the 2023, yet it maintains its signature 12.5% alcohol. It’s packed with stewed cherries and blood orange, underpinned by earthy savouriness, toasted hazelnuts, and what Mike Bennie describes as a \"gravelly haze\" of fine tannins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s an effortless, \"soif\" style of red that sits somewhere between a top-tier Gamay and a spicy Italian red. While it’s built for immediate, high-volume drinking, the limestone-clay soils provide enough complexity and grip to make it a serious food wine. If you're looking for the ultimate value-for-money Spanish red, this is it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e93 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This could be my value Spanish wine of the year – nuts! ... Loose but with a gravelly haze through it all, lots of perfume, brightness under the savoury elements. Effortless drinking.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e93 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It's a champion for quality\/price, one to buy by the case.\" - Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Ponce","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43942488277035,"sku":"2024 Ponce Clos Lojen Bobal","price":29.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/2024PonceClosLojenBobal.png?v=1777506861"},{"product_id":"2023-ponce-la-xara-garnacha","title":"2023 Ponce La Xara Garnacha","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhile Bobal is the king at Bodegas Ponce, Juan Antonio’s work with Garnacha is equally impressive. Sourced from the 10-hectare \"Gastón\" vineyard, these 35-year-old vines are planted on a unique mix of calcareous clay and granite at high altitude. This soil profile is key; the clay provides the \"bones\" and fruit weight, while the granite lends a mineral tension that makes the wine feel more like a high-altitude Gredos Garnacha than a typical warm-climate red.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2023 vintage is notable for its combo of drinkability and serious structure. Fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged for seven months in large neutral oak vats, the wine remains bright ruby in the glass. It’s super aromatic, jumping out with notes of wild strawberries, blood orange, and Mediterranean herbs, followed by more complex flickers of white pepper, ginseng, and wet stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the palate, it’s high-energy and supple. James Suckling noted a \"tangy, peppery\" character that makes it dangerously easy to drink, yet the Wine Advocate points to a deeper complexity and a \"juicy fruit\" core that suggests it will only gain character with time in the bottle. It’s a fresh, Mediterranean red that offers ripping value from one of the best bang-for-buck producers in Spain!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e94 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Amazing value for the money, with superb drinkability. You could really down this easily, but that doesn’t mean it’s not serious. Enjoy now.\"\u003cbr\u003e- James Suckling\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e93 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Their pure Garnacha 2023 La Xara shows finesse and elegance and is fresh and Mediterranean... It has a combination of red and black fruit, Mediterranean herbs, a medium-bodied palate, with bones, freshness and juicy fruit.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Ponce","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43942488309803,"sku":"2023 Ponce La Xara Garnacha","price":35.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/2023PonceLaXaraGarnacha.png?v=1777506849"},{"product_id":"2024-ponce-estrecha-bobal","title":"2024 Ponce Estrecha Bobal","description":"\u003cp\u003eLa Estrecha is consistently one of the most sought-after wines in the Ponce stable, and for good reason. The name refers to the \"narrowness\" of the vineyard - a high-density, 75-year-old plot squeezed between a forest and the La Casilla vineyard at 870 meters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile technically Bobal-dominant, the site includes a 10% mix of other varieties like Moravia and the white Marisancho, which Juan Antonio believes are essential to the wine’s signature freshness and elegance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2024 is a standout, even by Ponce’s high standards, earning a massive 98-point review from The Wine Advocate. Fermented with full clusters and aged in large 5,000-liter oak vats, it avoids the heavy grip sometimes associated with old-vine Bobal. Instead, it’s a wine of serious nuance and detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou get intense black cherry and plum, but they are framed by Rhône-like complexity: tar, olive, dried herbs, and wildflowers. The palate is defined by very fine, chalky tannins and a limestone-driven minerality that provides a silky texture and incredible persistence. It’s a complete, world-class red that rivals the finest wines of the Northern Rhône or Burgundy for pure finesse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e98 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This is always one of my favorite wines here, irrespective of the price. Here, the varietal blend and possibly the soils make it very elegant, complex and complete, with very fine chalky tannins and less grippy than those from the Pino. This could very well be the highlight from the 2024 vintage.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Ponce","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43942496370731,"sku":"2024 Ponce Estrecha Bobal","price":69.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/2024PonceEstrechaBobal.png?v=1777506872"},{"product_id":"ponce-bobal-masterclass-pack","title":"Ponce Bobal Masterclass Pack","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The wines have achieved a level of refinement, elegance and purity that makes them overdeliver for the prices asked. Ponce's wines overall could be the biggest bargains in Spain! Bravo!\"\u003cbr\u003e- Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJuan Antonio Ponce has built his reputation on a single premise: that his local variety Bobal is capable of world-class wine rather than just simple, quaffing bulk wines and he's doing one hell of a job! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased in the high-altitude plateau of Manchuela, Ponce works with 80-year-old, dry-grown family vines planted in limestone and clay soils. By applying a \"Beaujolais-style\" philosophy - 100% whole-bunch fermentation and carbonic maceration - he has successfully stripped away the heavy, tannic reputation of the variety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result is a lineup of reds that offer some of the best quality-to-price ratio in the Old World. While his peers may prioritise volume, Ponce focuses on low-yield, artisanal viticulture that produces \"crunchy\" red fruit, bright perfume, and a sophisticated mineral skeleton. From the high-energy Clos Lojen to his complex single-parcel releases, these wines consistently overdeliver, providing the structural poise of Northern Rhône Syrah or fine Gamay at a fraction of the cost. He has effectively redefined Bobal as a grape of immense value and finesse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2024 Ponce Estrecha Bobal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLa Estrecha is consistently one of the most sought-after wines in the Ponce stable, and for good reason. The name refers to the \"narrowness\" of the vineyard - a high-density, 75-year-old plot squeezed between a forest and the La Casilla vineyard at 870 meters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile technically Bobal-dominant, the site includes a 10% mix of other varieties like Moravia and the white Marisancho, which Juan Antonio believes are essential to the wine’s signature freshness and elegance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2024 is a standout, even by Ponce’s high standards, earning a massive 98-point review from The Wine Advocate. Fermented with full clusters and aged in large 5,000-liter oak vats, it avoids the heavy grip sometimes associated with old-vine Bobal. Instead, it’s a wine of serious nuance and detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou get intense black cherry and plum, but they are framed by Rhône-like complexity: tar, olive, dried herbs, and wildflowers. The palate is defined by very fine, chalky tannins and a limestone-driven minerality that provides a silky texture and incredible persistence. It’s a complete, world-class red that rivals the finest wines of the Northern Rhône or Burgundy for pure finesse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e98 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This is always one of my favorite wines here, irrespective of the price. Here, the varietal blend and possibly the soils make it very elegant, complex and complete, with very fine chalky tannins and less grippy than those from the Pino. This could very well be the highlight from the 2024 vintage.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2022 Ponce Pino Bobal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"With the idea to achieve a more serious age-worthy red, it fermented in 4,500-liter oak vats and matured in a 3,500-liter oval oak foudre... This was the more reductive of the 2022s that I tasted; the wine is more austere and feels a bit more rustic in the palate, but it was bottled only two months before I tasted it. 4,000 bottles were filled in August 2023.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e95 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A striking bobal, with mineral, white pepper, dried herbs and masses of fresh dark cherries and a reductive, meaty note that reminds me of lard. Pristine and bright on its medium-to full-bodied palate with a robust bobal structure that’s sturdy and nebbiolo-like, but fleshier. Fresh and pristine, with an absence of wood tannin. There is a lot of vibration and succulence, and a long, crunchy finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink from 2026.\"\u003cbr\u003e- James Suckling\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2024 Ponce P.F. Bobal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e96 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The 2024 P.F. is ungrafted Bobal (\"P.F.\" stands for \"pie franco\" in the Spanish language and means \"ungrafted\"). This is somehow earthier and darker in character, complex and nuanced, serious, a little closed, showing the more austere profile of the year and the soils. This has nuance, complexity, depth and purity of flavors, with very good precision. This has the juiciness but with the concentration from the smaller bunches delivered by the ungrafted vines, with fine-grained, polished tannins. This is going to improve with time in bottle, which I think will be more in the direction of a Northern Rhône than a Burgundy.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e- Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e94 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Deep yet very fresh nose, with a stemmy, herbal note to its complex melange of bramble and wild cherry fruit. Round, fleshy and full-bodied, with tight but melted tannins slowly making themselves felt on the palate. Chewy, powerful finish, with savory herbs and dark cherries. From organically grown grapes. Drink from 2026.\"\u003cbr\u003e- James Suckling\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Ponce","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43954183307307,"sku":"Ponce Bobal Masterclass Pack","price":189.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/PonceBobalMasterclassPack.webp?v=1777592869"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/collections\/Ponce.webp?v=1777594662","url":"https:\/\/www.differentdrop.com\/collections\/bodegas-ponce.oembed","provider":"Different Drop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}