2021 Cien Y Pico Viña La Ceja Bobal Garnacha Tintorera | Outstanding Value Spanish

Outstanding Value | Old-Vine Spanish Red for Just $28

Bobal + Garnacha Tintorera from Manchuela – Two of Spain's Most Fascinating Native Varieties

Old Vines, High-Altitude Vineyards & Seriously Delicious Drinking

Manchuela, Spain

50% Bobal | 50% Garnacha Tintorera

RRP $28

If you're looking for something different, delicious and outrageously good value, put this on your list.

2021 CIEN Y PICO VIÑA LA CEJA

This is exactly the sort of wine we love discovering at Liquid Vibe.

Forget Cabernet.

Forget Shiraz.

Forget Pinot Noir for a moment.

This is a blend of two fascinating Spanish varieties:

BOBAL + GARNACHA TINTORERA

grown in Manchuela, on Spain's high, dry central plateau.

And at just:

$28 A BOTTLE

there is a hell of a lot of wine here.

Dark fruit.

Raspberry.

Strawberry.

Blackberry.

Pepper.

Wild herbs.

Earth.

Minerality.

Silky tannins.

Fresh acidity.

Different enough to be exciting.

Delicious enough to come back for another bottle.

Tasting Notes

The colour immediately tells you this isn't going to be a shy wine.

Deep purple and violet.

Then the aromatics start.

Expect:

• Fresh strawberry
• Raspberry
• Blueberry
• Ripe plum
• Blackberry
• Black pepper
• Dried Mediterranean herbs
• Earthy, savoury notes
• Subtle leather
• Mineral complexity

The palate is where the two varieties work beautifully together.

Garnacha Tintorera brings colour, dark fruit, perfume and intensity.

Bobal contributes savoury personality, freshness and beautifully shaped tannins.

There's plenty of fruit, but this isn't heavy or clumsy.

It's bright.

Textural.

Fresh.

And wonderfully savoury.

Blueberry and raspberry fruit meet pepper, herbs and earthy complexity.

The tannins are silky but present, while a lovely line of acidity keeps everything moving.

Seriously good drinking.

What Is Bobal?

If you've never heard of Bobal, you're not alone.

But you should get to know it.

Bobal is one of Spain's fascinating indigenous red varieties and is particularly associated with the country's eastern interior.

At its best it can produce wines with:

Dark cherry.

Plum.

Blackberry.

Fresh acidity.

Savoury herbs.

Earthy complexity.

Firm but beautifully integrated tannins.

It has plenty of flavour but also naturally refreshing acidity, which makes it particularly interesting in warm, dry regions.

And when you blend it with Garnacha Tintorera?

Things get even more interesting.

And What Is Garnacha Tintorera?

Here's another variety worth discovering.

Despite the name, Garnacha Tintorera isn't simply regular Garnacha/Grenache.

It's also known internationally as Alicante Bouschet.

And it has one particularly unusual characteristic.

Most red wine grapes have dark skins but clear flesh.

Garnacha Tintorera is a teinturier variety, meaning:

THE FLESH ITSELF IS RED.

That's why it can produce wines with such extraordinary depth of colour.

It brings dark fruit, colour, richness and spice to the blend, while Bobal contributes freshness and tannin.

Together?

They're a brilliant combination.

About Manchuela

Manchuela sits on the high plateau of eastern Spain, between the country's interior and Mediterranean coast.

It's a fascinating wine region.

Hot summers.

Cold winters.

Low rainfall.

High altitude.

Ancient soils.

And importantly:

Some seriously old vines.

Cien Y Pico works with old bush vines growing in tough, dry conditions where yields can be tiny.

The vines have to struggle.

And that's exactly where the character comes from.

The vineyards sit hundreds of metres above sea level, helping retain freshness despite the region's warm, dry climate.

This is a landscape built for hardy Mediterranean varieties like Bobal and Garnacha Tintorera.

About Cien Y Pico

The name Cien Y Pico roughly translates as:

“ONE HUNDRED AND SOMETHING.”

And that tells you a lot about the project.

The winery was established around the extraordinary old vines surviving in this part of Spain.

Some vineyards in the region contain ancient bush vines more than 100 years old, growing in limestone-rich red sandy and clay soils.

These old vineyards were at risk of disappearing.

Instead, the team behind Cien Y Pico recognised what was sitting in front of them.

Old vines.

Indigenous varieties.

High altitude.

Tiny yields.

A genuine sense of place.

Exactly the ingredients we look for when discovering exciting wines.

Why We Love It

Because wine should be about discovery.

Anyone can buy another bottle of Cabernet or Shiraz.

But for:

$28

you can discover:

Bobal.

Garnacha Tintorera.

Manchuela.

Old-vine Spanish viticulture.

And most importantly:

It's bloody delicious.

There's richness without heaviness.

There's dark fruit without jamminess.

There's plenty of savoury complexity.

And there's enough freshness and tannin to make it brilliant with food.

This is exactly the sort of wine that makes people ask:

“WHAT IS THIS?”

And that's half the fun.

Food Pairings

This is made for food.

Try it with:

• Jamón Ibérico
• Chorizo
• Spanish sausages
• Slow-cooked lamb
• Rabbit stew
• Pork
• Bean and sausage casserole
• Grilled mushrooms
• Manchego
• Charcuterie

Or just put together a plate of Spanish ham, cheese and olives.

Open the bottle. Done.

Cellaring

The 2021 Viña La Ceja is drinking beautifully now.

There's plenty of fruit remaining, while several years of bottle age are allowing those savoury, earthy and spicy characters to become increasingly interesting.

Drink now through 2029+.

Give it a little air before drinking and don't serve it too warm.

Around 16–18°C should allow the fruit, spice and freshness to really shine.

Outstanding Value

This is the bit that gets us.

You're getting:

2021 Vintage

Manchuela, Spain

50% Bobal

50% Garnacha Tintorera

Old-Vine Spanish Red

13.5% Alcohol

And the price?

RRP $28

In today's wine market, that's outstanding.

2021 CIEN Y PICO VIÑA LA CEJA

Bobal + Garnacha Tintorera

Manchuela, Spain

RRP $28

👉 If you love discovering interesting wines before everyone else does, grab a bottle of this. At $28, it's one of those brilliant little Spanish discoveries that reminds you great wine doesn't need to cost a fortune.