For decades, the bobal grape was treated as a secondary variety, relegated to providing colour or body in anonymous blends and large volumes. Few believed in its potential for crafting high-end wines. However, visionaries like Antonio Sarrión understood that the secret lay not in forcing the plant, but in listening to it. In the region of Utiel-Requena, Sarrión demonstrated that, with patience and meticulous viticulture, this native red grape could be transformed into the origin of memorable estate reds, modern rosés, and even unique white wines from red grapes. Quincha Corral is born from that steadfast conviction.
From El Terrerazo, in the municipality of Utiel (Valencia), Quincha Corral is the pure expression of an exceptional terroir recognised with the highest geographical distinction: DOP El Terrerazo, a unique Pago designation of origin. The vines grow at an altitude of 800 metres above sea level, on a plateau where the cool mountain air moderates the temperatures. The soil is primarily clay-limestone with an abundant presence of limestone crust, a poor soil that forces the roots to delve deep in search of water and nutrients. The climate is Mediterranean with a strong continental influence, characterised by cold winters, hot summers, and a notable thermal contrast between day and night during ripening. The variety used is bobal, 100%, sourced from small, century-old plots cultivated under the principles of organic farming, respecting biodiversity and conducting exclusively manual harvesting.
For the production of Quincha Corral, Bodegas Mustiguillo employs artisanal vinification aimed at preserving the identity of the plots. After the manual selection of the clusters in the vineyard, the grapes are gently destemmed and subjected to a cold pre-fermentation maceration, a process that allows for the delicate extraction of aromas and colour before the onset of alcohol. The alcoholic fermentation, where the yeasts transform the fruit's sugars into wine, is carried out with native yeasts in French oak vats at controlled temperatures, with traditional punch-downs and periodic pumping over to stir the grape skins. Subsequently, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and begins an ageing process of about 18 months in French oak barrels. Finally, the wine is bottled without aggressive clarification or filtration to preserve its structure and complexity intact.
Quincha Corral is a powerful, profound, and extraordinarily refined red that showcases the superpowers of a variety that, until very recently, was relegated to secondary roles.