2021 Cien Y Pico ¡En Vaso..!, Bobal | Outstanding Value Spanish

Outstanding Value | Centenary-Vine Spanish Bobal for Just $34

100% Bobal from Ancient Bush Vines in Manchuela

A Fascinating Spanish Red from Vineyards Dating Back to the 19th Century

Dark Berries | Chocolate | Cinnamon | Graphite | Fresh Acidity

Manchuela, Spain

100% Bobal

Ancient Bush Vines

RRP $34

If you want to discover a Spanish red that is genuinely different, this is exactly the sort of wine you should be drinking.

2021 CIEN Y PICO ¡EN VASO…! BOBAL

Forget Tempranillo.

Forget Rioja.

Forget the varieties you already know.

This is:

100% BOBAL

from Manchuela, one of Spain's most fascinating emerging wine regions.

And here's where it gets really interesting.

Cien Y Pico's entire project was created around preserving extraordinary century-old vineyards that were in danger of disappearing.

Ancient bush vines.

Tiny yields.

High-altitude vineyards.

Limestone-rich soils.

One of Spain's great indigenous grape varieties.

And the price?

RRP $34

This is exactly why Spain remains one of the greatest places in the world to discover extraordinary value.

Tasting Notes

The colour is immediately impressive.

Deep, intense purple.

Then comes an incredibly vibrant combination of dark fruit, spice and savoury complexity.

Expect:

• Blueberry

• Blackberry

• Blackcurrant

• Mulberry

• Red berries

• Cinnamon

• Cocoa and dark chocolate

• Balsamic herbs

• Graphite

• Limestone minerality

The palate has plenty of flavour but remains beautifully fresh.

Dark berry fruit gives it richness and generosity before cinnamon, cocoa and earthy mineral characters begin to emerge.

There's a lovely velvety texture through the middle of the palate.

The tannins are juicy rather than aggressive.

And fresh acidity drives everything toward a vibrant finish.

Dark-fruited.

Spicy.

Savoury.

Fresh.

Seriously drinkable.

Give it some time in the glass and it gets even more interesting.

What Is Bobal?

If you haven't heard of Bobal, it's time you did.

Bobal is one of Spain's great indigenous red grape varieties and has been grown in the country's eastern interior for centuries.

It's particularly important around Manchuela and neighbouring Utiel-Requena.

At its best, Bobal can produce wines with:

Blackberry.

Blueberry.

Black cherry.

Plum.

Wild herbs.

Chocolate.

Earth.

Fresh acidity.

Serious tannin.

And that's what makes the variety so interesting.

It can deliver plenty of dark fruit and concentration while retaining the acidity required to keep the wine fresh.

In old vineyards with tiny yields?

Bobal can be seriously impressive.

What Does “¡En Vaso…!” Mean?

Here's another part of the story we love.

The name refers to the traditional low bush-vine form in which these ancient vines are grown.

Rather than modern vineyards trained neatly along trellises, these old Bobal vines grow as individual bush vines close to the ground.

And we're talking about genuinely old vines.

Not 20 years.

Not 30 years.

We're talking centenary vineyards.

Cien Y Pico was established specifically to help protect and celebrate these remarkable old vineyards.

The vines have survived decades of brutal conditions.

Hot summers.

Cold winters.

Minimal rainfall.

Poor soils.

And generation after generation of growers.

THEY'RE STILL PRODUCING FRUIT.

And that fruit is going into this bottle.

Ancient Vines of Manchuela

Manchuela lies on the high plateau of eastern Spain.

It's a dramatic environment for grape growing.

The old vineyards sit high above sea level, surrounded by mountains.

The soils are poor and dominated by limestone-rich red sandy clay derived from ancient Miocene sediments.

Rainfall is limited.

The vines have to struggle.

But old vines have enormous root systems capable of searching deep into the soil for water and nutrients.

The result?

Very low yields.

Small crops.

Concentrated fruit.

And wines with genuine personality.

These are vineyards that simply couldn't be recreated tomorrow.

Once they're gone:

THEY'RE GONE.

That's why the Cien Y Pico project matters.

About Cien Y Pico

The name tells the story.

CIEN Y PICO

roughly translates as:

“ONE HUNDRED AND SOMETHING.”

A reference to the extraordinary age of the vines at the heart of the project.

Cien Y Pico was established by an international group of winemakers who saw these remarkable old vineyards and realised something needed to be done.

Growers were finding the tiny yields uneconomic.

Ancient vineyards were being removed.

The Cien Y Pico team saw something completely different.

They saw treasure.

Old vines.

Indigenous varieties.

Low yields.

High altitude.

Ancient soils.

And more than a century of history.

So instead of ripping them out:

They decided to make wines that showed exactly why these vineyards deserved to survive.

¡En Vaso…! is one of those wines.

Winemaking

The philosophy is to allow the old Bobal vines to remain the star.

The producer lists the wine as:

100% Bobal

with a measured approach to oak maturation.

A portion spends longer in older barrels, while the remainder receives a shorter period in newer oak.

The intention isn't simply to make an oaky wine.

It's to give the naturally powerful Bobal fruit additional texture and complexity.

And underneath everything remains that characteristic Bobal freshness.

Dark fruit + tannin + acidity.

A combination that makes this variety incredibly well suited to food.

Why 2021 Is Particularly Interesting

The 2021 ¡En Vaso…! has a beautiful combination of richness and vibrancy.

Dark berries dominate.

But underneath the fruit you'll find:

Chocolate.

Cinnamon.

Earth.

Graphite.

Minerality.

And crucially:

Fresh acidity.

It's not simply a big, ripe Spanish red.

There's tension and energy underneath the fruit.

That's what keeps you coming back for another glass.

¡En Vaso…! vs Viña La Ceja vs Doble Pasta

If you're discovering Cien Y Pico for the first time, buy all three.

Because together they provide a fascinating introduction to Manchuela and its native varieties.

2021 Viña La Ceja

50% Bobal + 50% Garnacha Tintorera

Bright, juicy and vibrant.

2021 Doble Pasta

100% Garnacha Tintorera

Dark, deeply coloured, concentrated and spicy.

And then:

2021 ¡EN VASO…!

100% BOBAL

Dark berries, chocolate, cinnamon, graphite, freshness and beautiful tannin.

Same producer.

Same region.

Completely different expressions.

That's what makes wine exciting.

Food Pairings

This is a wine that absolutely loves food.

Try it with:

• Spanish chorizo
• BBQ sausages
• Slow-cooked lamb
• Pork shoulder
• Beef stew
• Grilled steak
• Bean and sausage casserole
• Roast mushrooms
• Manchego
• Aged hard cheeses

The winery even suggests regional sausages and an:

AUSTRALIAN BBQ SAUSAGE SIZZLE SANDWICH.

Hard to argue with that.

Cellaring

The 2021 is already drinking beautifully.

The dark fruit is vibrant, the tannins are becoming increasingly integrated and the wine has enough freshness to keep everything alive.

Drink now through 2030+.

Give it some air.

A decent-sized glass and 30 minutes after opening will allow the darker fruit, chocolate, balsamic and graphite characters to really emerge.

And don't serve it too warm.

16–18°C is ideal.

Why We Love It

Because this is everything we love about discovering wine.

You've got:

An indigenous Spanish grape variety.

100% Bobal.

Centenary bush vines.

Manchuela.

Ancient limestone-rich soils.

Tiny yields.

A project dedicated to protecting historic vineyards.

And then:

RRP $34

That's ridiculous.

Think about what century-old vines normally cost when they're attached to famous regions and famous labels.

Here you're getting genuine old-vine history for the price of an everyday bottle.

2021 CIEN Y PICO ¡EN VASO…!

100% Bobal

Manchuela, Spain

RRP $34

Ancient vines. Indigenous variety. Extraordinary story. Outstanding value.

👉 If you've never tasted Bobal before, start here. At $34, ¡En Vaso…! is one of those brilliant Spanish discoveries that makes you wonder why more people aren't drinking this variety.