Cellar for up to 12 years. No need to decant before serving.

The Manchuela region of southeastern Spain is best known for its rustic and powerful red wines made from the indigenous Bobal grape which aren’t particularly well-known outside of the country. Producers like Bodegas Ponce are seeking to change this thanks to a strong focus on their exceptional terroir and minimalist winemaking techniques that put the fruit centre stage. Juan Antonio Ponce founded his namesake winery at the young age of 23 and is fast building a reputation for inspired natural wines crafted using biodynamic practices.

This punchy red is primarily composed of Bobal along with a drop of the local Moravia Agria grape to add extra complexity. Grapes are sourced from old vines grown on 40 small plots on the high plateau where the cooler nights and hot sunny days help to achieve perfectly ripe yet balanced fruit.

Once in the winery Juan ferments each variety separately with wild yeasts in neutral wooden vats. The young wine is then aged in 600-litre French oak barrels and bottled without any filtering or clarifying to avoid diluting the pure natural character of the wine. This hands off approach to winemaking creates a robust and intense red that’s bursting with dark sour cherries, plums, damsons and hints of licorice, baked earth and spice. A great wine to cellar for a few more years or serve now alongside hearty red meat dishes.