MUSTIGUILLO MESTIJAZE BLANCO – Organic and Biodynamic
In 2017 I visited Spain on a wine-buying trip with the folks at Valkyrie Imports; our second stop was in Utiel, in Valencia, to meet with Toni Sarrion, the proprietor and winemaker at Mustiguillo, an organic/biodynamic winery specializing in native grapes – mainly Merseguera for the whites and Bobal for the reds.
Tony is a champion of resurrecting these almost lost grapes. His Merseguera grapes come from plots planted at 3000 feet above sea level that he grafted over from Bobal vines that couldn’t adapt to the higher altitude.
His entry-level blend is called Mestijaze for both the red and white, and the white is a blend of 75% Merseguera, with lesser amounts of Viognier and Malvasia. The wine undergoes native yeast fermentation in tank and is aged sur lies in stainless steel.
The Viognier is immediately apparent on the nose with apricot, tropical fruit, and honey while underlying notes of white peach, scented flowers, and citrus hints creep in from the Merseguera. The tightwire balance between the fleshy Viognier/Malvasia and taut Merseguera continues with a fresh, fruity, and floral attack and an unctuous mid-palate that is kept in check by bracing acidity. Truly one of a kind, Mestizaje shows its unique personality is this pleasant, crispy, imminently friendly wine Mustiguillo is an organic/biodynamic Spanish winery specializing in native grapes – mainly Merseguera for the whites and Bobal for the reds.
MUSTIGUILLO MESTIJAZE TINTO – organic and biodynamic
Bobal is one of the greatest and most under-rated Spanish grape varieties, and is now on the cusp of a renaissance in the Mediterranean vineyards to mirror that of the Mencia varietal in Bierzo and other parts of North-West Spain.
Mustiguillo is a family project, dedicated to organic viticulture and the pursuit of elegance and finesse rather than excess oak and the like. A well-rehearsed mantra maybe, but one that does not have many adherents of such pedigree. Consider this a reintroduction to Bobal, and its champion, Toni Sarrion. In the late 1990’s, Toni began a one-man crusade to save this indigenous variety and coax it from obscurity and rusticity to the forefront of truly world-class wines.
Ever evolving and pushing the quality level forward, Mustiguillo has moved away from the use of overt American oak as seen in previous vintages in favor of concrete and French oak for wines of finesse and balance, realizing the potential of Bobal from the unique terroir of El Terrerazo. Mustiguillo was recognized for its extraordinary efforts by Wine & Spirits as one of the Top 100 Wineries of 2012.
The varieties are vinified separately and undergo malolactic in a mixture of oak and stainless steel. The final blend spends 11 months in French oak.