PF Ponce Pie Franco 2024

PF Ponce Pie Franco comes from Bodegas Ponce in the D.O. Manchuela, in Castilla-La Mancha, where the harsh continental climate holds vineyard yields very low and concentrates aroma in the fruit. The wine is a varietal Bobal from small vineyards of ungrafted vines around 60 years old, the pie franco of the name meaning the vines grow on their own roots rather than grafted rootstock. Manchuela sits at altitude on limestone and clay soils, and the wide gap between hot days and cold nights preserves the freshness and acidity that mark Ponce's style, a departure from the region's old reputation for heavy reds. Old-vine Bobal ripens slowly here, and fermentation runs up to a month on indigenous yeasts, which metabolise the sugars fully, followed by a slow malolactic fermentation. Ageing is ten months in French oak, framing the fruit rather than dominating it. The wine shows a deep red, with a nose of red cherry, blackberry and plum over dried herbs, pepper and a stony minerality. The palate balances power with elegance, medium to full in body, with fine tannin and a fresh, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees. It suits roast lamb, grilled beef and mushrooms.