Chozas Carrascal - Las Dos Ces Tinto, Bobal, DO Utiel-Requena, Spain (2021)

TASTING NOTES

Dominated by primary fruit flavours. Big and bold on the nose, with black plum, kirsch, blueberry and a hint of oregano. The palate has some earthy elements to go with the anise, plum and blackberry flavours. The tannins are quite mild, with balance coming more from acidity. Serve at cellar temperature.

Located in Valencia, in Spain’s Mediterranean east at 700m above sea level, 65 km from the coast. Despite its proximity to the sea, the climate is decidedly continental, making for hot summers, cold winters and large diurnal temperature variations. The estate’s dry setting is somewhat offset by its limestone-rich soils, which importantly retain moisture. DO Utiel-Requena produces mostly red wines and nearly 95% of the vineyards are planted with red grape varieties.

Hand-harvested and de-stemmed grapes are fermented in concrete tanks. Gentle pump overs are done three times a day to extract colour during fermentation. The fermentation begins with full oxygen, but the concrete eggs are sealed to oxygen during the final stages. The wine sees no oak before being bottled.

In 1990, husband and wife team Julin López and María José Peidro purchased an established vineyard in the Requena-Utiel region of Valencia in south-eastern Spain. Shortly thereafter, when their extensive studies identified that their terroir was similar to that of many of the French vineyards they frequently visited as a family, they planted several international grape varieties.  

Today, the Chozas Carrascal vineyard is comprised of 14 plots sitting at 750-840m above sea-level on a thick slab of limestone-based subsoil, distinctive within the region. Their climate is significantly more continental than the rest of the D.O.P., with hot, dry summer days and cool, fresh nights. The winery’s uniqueness was recognized in 2012 when it was awarded ‘Vino de Pago’ status, meaning the winery is its own D.O., separate, distinct and at the top of the Spanish wine hierarchy.

The 30-hectare vineyard at Chozas Carrascal is planted with 12 grape varieties split between local, indigenous grapes—Bobal, Monastrell, Garnacha, Tempranillo and Macabeo—and widely-recognized French examples: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. These vineyards are farmed and certified organic and the wines exhibit elegant structure, intense, complex character and, most importantly, delicious drinkability.