If you have ever heard of the Spanish grape Bobal, I am very impressed. If you've ever tasted a wine made from Bobal grapes, I'm flabbergasted!
So, what does a wine made from Bobal taste like? Well it tastes something like Oregon Pinot Noir, it tastes something like red Burgundy, it tastes something like a Cru Beaujolais - but it doesn't exactly taste like any of those. In a top example like this one, it exhibits bright red fruits, soft fruit tannins, pronounced minerality. moderate alcohol, and balanced acidity (doesn't that sound like Pinot Noir, Burgundy and Beaujolais?).
The 2018 Ponce Clos Lojen is a superb example at only $15.99 (according to a website which tracks wine prices worldwide, the lowest price elsewhere in the US is $16.99)
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate agrees with us, saying: "The 2018 Clos Lojen is pure Bobal that fermented with full clusters in oak vats and then matured for six months in 10,000- and 15,000-liter oak vats. It's pure and easy to drink from a cool and fresh year. This feels quite young, and even if it's more primary than the 2017, the background feels more like it, with subdued minerality. The palate is balanced, with moderate alcohol (it's only 12%!) and with a dry, serious, stony texture. It's an easy but mineral red - think a Morgon from granite soils. Very good value for the money. 91 points."
Purchase the 2018 Ponce Clos Lojen here:
https://sunfishcellars.com/products/bodegasponcecloslojen2018
Saute a breast of duck with black cherries for a match made in heaven!