Bancroft pushes into the Spanish Levante with new addition

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 23 January, 2023

Bodegas Mustiguillo, part of the Grandes Pagos de Espana, is joining the Bancroft Wines portfolio as the distributor bolsters UK representation of wine from Spain’s Mediterranean coast.

Described by Lenka Sedlackova MW, senior brand manager of Bancroft Wines as a Spanish “gem”, Bodegas Mustiguillo is a family-owned winery in Valencia. Founded 45 years ago, today, it is run by winemaker Toni Sarrión and is situated in a ‘unique Mediterranean landscape’ at 800m altitude: the area is sheltered by the Sierra del Negrete mountains, but lies within close proximity to the sea.

Bodegas Mustiguillo is also notable for having its own DOP. Their Finca Terrerazo Vino de Pago has its own solo designation, and is responsible for some of the bodega’s top wines.

“We have always felt that the Spanish Levante presented a gap in our portfolio. For me, the winery that forms a benchmark for quality and sustainability in this area is undeniably Mustiguillo,” Sedlackova said.

“Having worked with winemaker Toni Sarrión before, I am delighted to rekindle our friendship and collaboration. Mustiguillo’s organic credentials fit perfectly with Bancroft’s sustainable ethos and the fresh, elegant and delicious style of the wines is going to appeal greatly to our customer base.”

Sarrión also welcomed the beginning of a new chapter in the UK market, with the aim now to fully grow awareness of the estate’s sustainable and organic practices.

“Here in Mustiguillo, a small family-run business in the highlands of Valencia, we have been striving for years to prove the potential of historically underrated grape varieties such as Bobal and Merseguera,” Sarrión added.

“Decoding the soil and putting great focus on the vineyard has been the game changer to high-quality grapes. Then, at the winery, minimum intervention with no make-up is my recipe. I try to encapsulate that purity of the Mediterranean landscape into the bottle. For sure, it was not an easy path and I can tell you plenty of anecdotes, but today we are happy to deliver those efforts and dreams blended in wines like Mestizaje, Terrerazo and Finca Calvestra to the tables and for the joy of the UK wine lovers.”

Mustiguillo is organically farmed, with a focus on sustainable viticulture which utilises natural cover crops like mustard, radish and legumes to supply organic nutrients to the soils.

Nearly two thirds of the El Terrerazo estate is dedicated to growing the indigenous Bobal, mostly from old vines. White grape Merseguera is also cultivated at 900m altitude at the Finca Calvestra estate in sandy/chalky soils and forms the basis for the Mestizaje and the Finca Calvestra wines.

Bancroft is currently taking on a number of wines: Mestizaje Blanco 2021, Finca Calvestra 2021, Mestizaje Tinto 2020, Finca Terrerazo 2020, Quincha Corral 2019.

Printer friendly version