Ponce La Casilla Bobal 2025

La Casilla is the work of Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce, the family winery in Iniesta led by Juan Antonio Ponce, whose aim is to champion the native varieties of Manchuela in eastern Castilla La Mancha. This is a single-variety Bobal made from old vines between 35 and 70 years old, an age that gives deep roots, naturally low yields and concentrated fruit. Bobal is a thick-skinned, high-acid variety that holds its freshness even in a warm continental climate, and the older vines here, farmed respectfully, produce a wine of fragrance rather than weight. After fermentation it spends ten months in French oak, a restrained ageing that smooths the tannins and adds a light spice frame while leaving the fruit and the variety's natural acidity in the foreground. At 13 percent it is medium bodied and lifted, deep cherry-red in the glass, with fresh red fruit, cherry and plum on the nose over black pepper, dried herbs and an earthy, savoury undertone. The palate is bright and structured, with fine tannin and a long, peppery finish. Serve at 15 to 17 degrees with game and roast poultry.