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One of the keys to the winery’s success was the appointment of Juan Carlos Sancha as managing director.  Sancha, an enologist, agronomist and university professor had always showed an interest in reviving  grape varieties on the verge of extinction in Rioja and studying their possibilities for use as Rioja grapes.  At the time, a lively, and as it turned out, almost eternal debate was taking place about the possible use of international varieties like cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay in Rioja and talk of new local varieties only served to fan the flames.  Of course this turned into a political stalemate and is the topic of another post.  Viña Ijalba, however, led the charge in favor of allowing experimental plots of these varieties (you can see them in front of the winery) and after what seemed like an eternity, several of these almost forgotten grapes, notably maturana tinta and maturana blanca  were allowed to be used to make Rioja. To my knowledge, the first 100% graciano sold commercially in Rioja was also made at Viña Ijalba.

Thanks in part to the minority variety investigation work of Juan Carlos Sancha and Fernando Martínez de Toda at Universidad de la Rioja. Thank you for the nice piece, Tom!

Peña El Gato Vineyard

At an altitude of 565 (Tempranillo Blanco & Maturana Tinta) to 650 meters (old Garnacha) on hillsides facing to the south, in calcareous-clay soils, these vineyards are located between hills and slopes which allow a suitable airing of the vines, ensuring a perfect health of the cluster, which decreases prevalence of vine diseases and therefore respectful to the environment.

These minority varieties were discovered through thorough investigation by Juan Carlos Sancha and Fernando Martínez de Toda at the University of La Rioja. This investigation recouperated minority varieties in danger of extinction in La Rioja and it was through this work that Juan Carlos Sancha was able to be the first in Rioja to grow and commercialize these recouperated minority varieties.

Today, Bodegas Juan Carlos Sancha elaborates artisan, organic wines of three varieties. Ad Libitum Maturana Tinta is made from the minority variety Maturana Tinta and Ad Libitum Tempranillo Blanco is made from a mutation of the well known Tempranillo.  Peña El Gato is named after the parcel of land that was so high up, that not even the cats would venture up the mountain to where 95 year old vines of low production Garnacha is produced.

Juan Carlos Sancha winery is located on site of five hecatres of its own vineyard situated in Baños de Río Tobía, in the middle of Valle del Najerilla. All the vineyards planted are of very small parcels of land and with high density plantation of 5,000 vines per hectare in poor calcareous soils which limit the vigor of the vines. This results in lower production of grapes and higher concentration within the limited grape clusters which only increases the complexity and quality of the grapes.

Bodegas Juan Carlos Sancha offers three wines from Rioja:

• Peña El Gato, Garnacha
• Ad Libitum Maturana Tinta
• Ad Libitum Tempranillo Blanco

Ad Libitum means ‘free to do as you wish without any restrictions’.

Localizada en Baños de Río Tobía (Rioja Alta), en la zona más fría y límite de cultivo de la D.O. Ca. Rioja. Posee viñedos con más de 90 años de antigüedad y otros plantados recientemente con variedades minoritarias experimentales como la Maturana Tinta, Maturana Blanca y Tempranillo Blanco, entre otras, que se han recuperado tras un largo proceso de investigación. Esta apuesta a contracorriente por recuperar variedades de vid en peligro de extinción ha permitido recuperar variedades únicas como el Tempranillo Blanco y la Maturana Tinta.

Juan Carlos Sancha S.L. dispone actualmente de 5 ha. de viñedo propio plantado íntegramente en Baños de Río Tobía, en pleno Valle del Najerilla. Todo el viñedo, está plantado en parcelas muy pequeñas y con alta densidad de plantación (5.000 cepas/ha) en suelos pobres, poco profundos y calizos, que obligan a la vid a reducir su vigor y su producción de uva, mejorando de esta manera su calidad.

Juan Carlos Sancha recently held a tasting at the Hotel HUSA in Logroño, La Rioja as part of the Best Wines of Rioja monthly tasting. At this tasting, he introduced the 2011 Ad Libitum Maturana Tinta which was a hit among the tasters. It is set to be released in Fall of 2012.