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    Winemaker

    David Forcada

    Discipline
    Winemaker
    Portrait of David Forcada

    Portrait of David Forcada

    i. Biography

    At Bodegas Forcada S.L, the work is built from family land, altitude, and a controlled hand in the cellar. The aim is not decoration but clarity: fruit, site, and restraint carried through to bottle.

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    Ownership and winemaking sit in the same role at Bodegas Forcada S.L, and David Forcada uses both to shape the estate day by day. The job is practical rather than ceremonial: decide what is picked, when it comes in, and how the wine is handled so the place remains legible in the glass.

    Where They Are Now

    At Bodegas Forcada S.L, the cellar is not separate from the vineyard; it is where the estate’s character is worked out. David Forcada’s position is tied to that full chain, from vineyard to finished bottle, with the house style leaning on patience and precision rather than force. Mountain-vineyard Garnacha is central to that style. In Rioja, altitude gives the grape a different register, and David Forcada’s emphasis on structure and elegance sets the frame for the wines.

    The estate vineyards, the virtually organic grapes, and the purpose-built facilities from 2001 provide the working base for that approach. The setup is straightforward: family land, measured methods, and wines that are meant to hold their shape. Alma de Forcada Cepas Viejas is the bottling that most clearly carries that intent. The name points to old vines, and its recognition in 2019 brought a single estate wine into wider conversation around Garnacha. It reads as the point where age, altitude, and careful winemaking meet in one label.

    Signature

    David's signature wines include La Forcada Garnacha, La Forcada Graciano Crianza, La Forcada Sauvignon Blanc, and La Forcada Ecológico Crianza. Taken together, they suggest a portfolio that moves across styles while retaining the same underlying discipline, with each wine carrying a version of the house’s pared-back confidence.

    Honors

    David Forcada has received IWC, World's Best Garnacha Wine (2019). David's honors include World's Best Garnacha Wine. It is a distinction that underscores the significance of the grape to his work and reflects the wider attention drawn by the estate’s most compelling expressions.

    ii

    FAQ

    Asked of David

    • What is David Forcada's current role?

      As of 2026, David Forcada is Owner & Winemaker.

    • What recognition has David Forcada received?

      World's Best Garnacha Wine (2019).

    • What is David Forcada known for?

      Rioja wines, especially Garnacha from mountain vineyards.

    The Sunday email

    Read about winemakers like David Forcada in the Sunday email.

    Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.

    See a sample of the Sunday email

    Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.