Bodegas Sancha
Overview
Estate
Bodegas Juan Carlos Sancha is a small, family-rooted winery in Baños de Río Tobía, Rioja Alta, in the Alto Najerilla Valley. Juan Carlos Sancha began his personal project in 1997, building on old family vineyards and his research into the recovery of minority native grape varieties in Rioja. The winery is dedicated to expressing the Alto Najerilla through old vineyards, biodiversity, and small-production wines.
Climate
Baños de Río Tobía is located in one of the coolest and most extreme areas of the DOCa Rioja, at the northern limit of cultivation. The vineyards sit in the Alto Najerilla Valley, where altitude and cool conditions contribute to freshness and slow ripening. The local microclimate is one of the key elements of its terroir. Individual vineyard elevations range from approximately 1,853 feet for the Maturana Blanca and 2,132 feet for Peña El Gato to 2,460 feet for Cerro La Isa.
Soil
The vineyards are planted in poor, shallow, calcareous soils. The high planting density of approximately 5,000 vines per hectare limits vigor and yield. Individual parcels show additional variation: the Maturana Blanca vineyard is planted on clay-calcareous soils with rounded stones, while Cerro La Isa Blanco comes from a shallow clay-calcareous soil with high iron content.
Vineyards
The winery has 24 hectares of its own vineyards, all planted in Baños de Río Tobía in small parcels at high density. The portfolio includes the family Peña El Gato vineyard, planted in 1917, and Cerro La Isa, a Viñedo Singular planted in 1906. The winery also maintains experimental/recovered plantings of Maturana Blanca, Maturana Tinta, and Tempranillo Blanco.
Cultivation
The winery follows ecological viticulture and emphasizes biodiversity and the preservation of old vineyards. Ecological farming requires substantially more work in the vineyard and is directly linked to the quality and long-term preservation of the land. Old vineyards are maintained despite their low economic yield, and the winery works with very small parcels and high planting density.
Winery
The winery's philosophy is deliberately small-scale and terroir-focused. Wines are made to prioritize the grape and vineyard over cellar manipulation. Depending on the cuvée, the cellar uses French oak, large 500-liter barrels, clay amphora, and granite vessels. Peña El Gato, from 1917 Garnacha, is made in several versions, including classic barrel-aged, natural, amphora, and granite expressions. Ad Libitum wines showcase recovered minority varieties. Cerro La Isa comes from the oldest family vineyard and is made in both red and white versions.
Family
Juan Carlos Sancha's project is rooted in his family vineyards in Baños de Río Tobía. The old vineyards at Cerro La Isa were planted by his great-grandfather, Daniel, and grandfather, Domingo, at the beginning of the 20th century. Sancha's work combines this family vineyard heritage with a broader research project to recover forgotten native Rioja varieties.
Winemaker
Juan Carlos Sancha is the founder and winemaker of the estate. He is an agricultural engineer and oenologist, a university lecturer at the University of La Rioja, and a long-time viticultural researcher. Together with Professor Fernando Martínez de Toda, he participated in the research project that identified and recovered approximately thirty minority grape varieties at risk of disappearing. Their work contributed to the official recognition in Rioja of varieties including Maturana Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Tinta, and Monastel.
Focus Point
• Small, family-rooted winery in Baños de Río Tobía, Rioja Alta.
• Strong focus on the Alto Najerilla and its cool, high-altitude terroir.
• Recovery and preservation of centenary vineyards.
• Ecological viticulture and very small vineyard parcels.
• Recovery of minority native Rioja varieties.
• Experimental use of French oak, amphora and granite to explore terroir and variety.
Marketing materials
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