Juan Carlos Sancha, a professor of oenology at the University of La Rioja, founded his eponymous winery in Rioja Alta along the border of D.O.Ca. Rioja, in the coldest zone of this wine denomination. Along with various plots of old vine Garnacha Juan Carlos Sancha’s winery also has vines of minority varieties such as Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Tinta and Maturana Blanca, varieties that he and his university colleague Fernando Martinez de Toda discovered, rescued from extinction, and developed. The wine-making philosophy is based on organic practices and minimal intervention in all stages of the process, the aim being to preserve the purity and clearness of their carefully selected grapes to produce personal, elegant and powerful wines. Tim Atkin not only lists them as one of his top 20 in the region but Juan Carlos was the 2019 Viticulturist of the Year. This cooler location, in Baños de Río Tobía (Rioja Alta) in the Najerilla Valley, contributes to the high quality of their wines. Alongside his range of redescovered varieties, bottled under the “Ad Libitum” label the winery also bottles Grenache from his family’s 100 year old vines as “Pena el Gato”. In the last 20 years, Spain has uprooted over 100,000 hectares (247,105 acres) of Garnacha (Grenache). In the denomination of origin-Rioja, Garnacha has gone from representing almost 40 percent of total vineyard in 1973 to an astounding 8 percent in 2012.
Juan Carlos Sancha Pena el Gato Rioja NATURAL Garnacha Vinas Centenarias 2018
15% abv
Alongside this range under the “Ad Libitum” label he also produces this Grenache from his family’s 100 year old vines named ‘Pena el Gato’ The vines are situated on a South facing slope and yields are incredibly low. The wine is fermented and aged in new 500 litre French oak for 11 months and the natural uses wild yeasts and sees zero added sulphur. Dense black fruits with notes of smoke and dried flowers. Great old vine complexity.
Bodegas Juan Carlos Sancha is a winery located in Rioja Alta, one of the best-known wine-producing regions of Spain. This winery, operated in the town of Baños de Río Tobía (Rioja Alta) by Juan Carlos Sancha, a professor of enology at the University of La Rioja, is situated on five hectares of land along the border of D.O.Ca. Rioja, and in the coldest zone of this wine denomination.
This cooler location, in Baños de Río Tobía (Rioja Alta) in the Najerilla Valley, contributes to the high quality of their wines. Juan Carlos Sancha’s winery also has vines of minority varieties such as Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Tinta, Maturana Blanca and Monastel de Rioja – varieties that he and his university colleague Fernando Martinez de Toda discovered, rescued from extinction, and developed. In the last 20 years, Spain has uprooted over 100,000 hectares (247,105 acres) of Garnacha (Grenache). In the denomination of origin-Rioja, Garnacha has gone from representing almost 40 percent of total vineyard in 1973 to an astounding 8 percent in 2012. Professor Sancha then went on to found the first Rioja winery employing these minority varieties in commercialized wines.
110 cases made
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2018 | Duty Paid | Europe | Grenache (Garnacha/Cannonau) | Juan Carlos Sancha | Red | Rioja | Spain | Still | Wine- Reference #:
- 12946
- Strength
- 15 ABV
- Bottles per Case
- 6 bottles
- Grapes
- Grenache (Garnacha/Cannonau)
- Organic
- Yes
- Biodynamic
- No
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
- Sparkling
- No

