2025 Bobal 'El Renegado'. Bodegas Nodus, Utiel-Requena DO, Valencia, Spain, 13%, 75cl.

Driven by his passion for winemaking, Adolfo de las Heras Marín founded Bodegas y Viñedos de Utiel in 1985, acquiring one of the estates with the greatest ecological and oenological value in the Valencian Region: Finca El Renegado. The Finca includes a vineyard and a forest; 80% of the vineyard is dedicated to the native Bobal variety and the vines are over 50 years old. Adolfo was also one of the first viticulturists to make high-quality bottled wine in the area. In the late 1990s when his son, Adolfo de las Heras Polo, took over, he continued this philosophy and revolutionised the winery. He began to produce wines with greater ageing in barrels, from different types of French oak that imbued the wines with greater complexity and distinction from Bodegas Nodus. The ‘El Renegado’ wines take their name from the estate and honour the centuries-old Holm oaks that grow there. The organic wine illustrates the purest expression of the Bobal variety.

Tasting Note
A full-bodied and fruity red from the local Bobal grape variety, with delicious notes of ripe fruits of the forest, strawberry and raspberry complemented by a hint of smoky spice - which is from the grape variety rather than any use of oak barrels here.