Finca Sandoval
Carretera CM-3222, km. 26,800
16237 Ledaña
Winery images
We aim to produce terroir-based wines reflecting the limestone soils, the high altitude, the various grape varieties in southeastern Spain’s Manchuela. We seek to maintain the southern European tradition of field and cellar blends of grapes. Our approach is based on low intervention – only native yeasts are used, minimal SO2 additions at bottling, with no filtration or fining. We hold a certification of organic viticulture.
Central Manchuela has rolling terrain, slowly rising toward the Cuenca mountains due north. Vineyards abut othercrops, particularly cereals and olive trees. The altitude is from 750 to 1,000 meters. The medieval Alarcón castle, with a reservoir near it, is a highlight to the west, while just to the east lie the spectacular Hoces del Cabriel, the canyon dug by the river that separates Castilla-La Mancha from Valencia.
The Winery
We work from a simple, functional 900 square meter facility, with small (50 hl), gravity-fed, open-top, temperature-controlled fermenting vats. Basket press, hand pigeage. Aging is in large 300 l barrels.
The Vineyards
Higueras y Olivos, 7.0 ha, four types of limestone-based soils, syrah and touriga nacional
Las Hacillas del Rapaz, 3.1 ha, clay-limestone, syrah
Casilla de Don Tomás, 3.5 ha, limestone rocks on clay-limestone, bobal and monastrell
La Bodega, 0.5 ha, limestone, touriga nacional
Main milestones of the winery
Finca Sandoval is one of 365 wine estates, only 23 of them in Spain, included by French writers Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve in The World’s Greatest Wines (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, New York, 2006). One of our wines was featured in Neil Beckett’s 1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die (Universe, New York, 2008). Robert Parke awarded one Finca Sandoval wine, the 2004 Cuvée TNS, 96 points – the highest rating he has given to any unfortified wine produced in the southern half of Spain. The Wine Advocate has rated all Finca Sandoval wines above 90 points since our first vintage, 2001.
