Mustiguillo ‘Mestizaje’ Blanco, Vino de Pago El Terrerazo, Valencia, Spain 2022

Mustiguillo ‘Mestizaje’ Blanco, Vino de Pago El Terrerazo, Valencia, Spain 2022

Founded by Toni Sarrión in the late 1990s, Mustiguillo pioneered the revival of Bobal and the near-forgotten white variety Merseguera. As part of Grandes Pagos de España, the estate focuses on organically farmed, high-altitude vineyards at El Terrerazo, producing authentic single-estate wines that capture Valencia’s unique terroir.

• WINEMAKER: Toni Sarrión.

• FARMING: Certified Organic.

• VARIETY: 55% Merseguera, 20% Macabeo, 10% Malvasia, 10% Xarello, 5% Viognier.

• TERROIR: Vino de Pago El Terrerazo (Valencia, Spain). Estate vineyards at Finca Calvestra, planted at ~900–920 m on limestone soils. Merseguera vines grafted onto 40+ year-old Bobal rootstock where the red variety could not ripen at this altitude. Mediterranean climate with continental influence, marked by wide diurnal shifts and alternating winds from the Mediterranean Sea and inland La Mancha.

• VINIFICATION: Fermented by variety and parcel with native yeasts in stainless steel; no additives.

• AGING: Six months sur lie in stainless steel and concrete.

• TASTING NOTES: The Viognier lends upfront apricot, tropical fruit, and honeyed notes, while Merseguera drives freshness with citrus, white peach, and floral accents. Malvasia and Macabeo add body and aromatics, while Xarello contributes acidity and texture. Fresh and immediate on the attack, with an unctuous mid-palate cut by bracing acidity. Crisp, fruit-driven, and highly expressive.

• FOOD PAIRINGS: Shellfish tapas, Mediterranean fish dishes, citrus-dressed salads, and seafood paella.

• SCORES: 91 pts, Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): “2022 is a little more exuberant, more expressive and open, direct, quite immediate… harvested a little earlier to keep the freshness.”