Varieties Mustiguillo
Tierra del Terrerazo has become the cradle of high-quality Bobal. At first glance, the grape doesn’t look like a classic quality variety: the berries are large and the clusters are big and compact. Yet Bobal produces wines with deep colour, firm structure, and high tannin levels. Most importantly, it has the best natural acidity of any Mediterranean grape — a key asset in this warm climate. Bobal also responds very well to oak ageing, though success ultimately depends on meticulous vineyard work.
Mustiguillo owns 85 hectares of vineyards, 70% of which are planted with Bobal. The remaining plots feature Garnacha, Tempranillo, and smaller amounts of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. For his top wines, Toni Sarrión uses only 90-year-old Bobal vines, most of which are trained en gobelet. In this extremely dry region, yields are managed according to leaf surface area (1 metre of foliage = 1 kg of grapes). Since 2009, the vineyards have been fully organically farmed with CAE certification.
Toni has truly unlocked the potential of this variety, inspiring many growers in the Levante to follow his lead and believe in Bobal’s quality. Since 2008, he has applied the same philosophy to Merseguera, the traditional white grape of Valencia, previously overlooked for fine wines. Here too, the results are impressive — with wines like Mestizaje Blanco, Finca Calvestra, and the flagship Margas, which is only released after a few years of ageing. Not all grapes are vinified in-house: only the best and oldest plots are selected each year, while fruit from younger vines is sold to local growers.