Félix Martínez Roda at Vera de Estenas’ cellar
In June 2023, Félix Martínez Roda invited journalists, experts and friends for a very special tasting at Vera de Estenas: a vertical of Casa Don Ángel, going back to 2018, the very first vintage of the winery’s flagship DO Utiel-Requena wine. It was a celebration not only of the wine’s character, longevity and identity but also of an ongoing commitment to the appellation and to Bobal.
Proof of concept
When it was first released, Casa Don Ángel marked an inflection point in the history of Vera de Estenas, the project founded by Félix’s father in the 1980s. It materialised the family’s pioneering belief in the potential of Bobal – Utiel-Requena’s flagship and often underestimated grape variety – to produce wines of great finesse and staying power, while also confirming the unique character of the terroir of Vera de Estenas. The latter would be further corroborated by the attainment, in 2013, of Pago status, becoming one of only 24 estates in Spain to hold its own designation of origin.
In tandem, these achievements paved the way for other producers in Utiel-Requena to believe in the future of the appellation and its indigenous varieties as sources of balanced, characterful and age-worthy wines. If, today, the ‘Bobal de Alta Expresión’ stamps exists to highlight the best wines produced, across Utiel-Requena, from the local star variety, this would not have been possible without the effort and belief of Félix Martínez Roda and his father, Francisco Martínez Bermell,
