Bodegas Gratias - 'Sol' - Tardana - Manchuela, ES - 2022

Satellite's Hot Take

A wonderful skin contact from a near extinct varietal that just rocks. Sunshine and white fruit and a clean mineral earth in the liquid... somewhat like finding a perfect spring coming out of the pure stone of a barren desert... but it's made from apple juice! Love this stuff. EASY!

Notes from the Winery/Importer

• Wine Name: Sol • Varietal: Tardana • Denomination(s): Non-denominated Manchuela Area • Country: Spain • Region: Manchuela • Vineyard Site: Villatoya • Vineyard Size: Tiny • Vine Age: Tardana: old vine • Training: Bush • Farming: Certified ICEA Biodynamic, dry-farmed • Elevation: ~700m • Soil Type: white due to high limestone content • Fermentation: indigenous yeast, low temp in 50HL tanks, no malolactic; ⅓ is moved to tinaja for 3 months on its lees, light filtration, no fining or cold-stabilization • Annual Production: 4600 bottles

Notes on the Producer

Bodegas Gratias, Familia y Viñedos is located in Manchuela, just outside of the DO, approximately 75 miles west of Valencia. Together, the Gomez family works 10 hectares of exclusively indigenous varieties, half of which they own a nd half of which are tiny parcels owned by local farmers. The family works side by side with these growers all year long, collaborating to protect and preserve native varieties, many of which they have helped bring back from the brink of extinction. Their organic vines range from 30 to 100 years old, and are all bush vines, untilled and dry farmed. In the cellar they work with minimal intervention, with most of their wines totaling out at only 15ppm total sulfur.