Juan Antonio Ponce Manchuela P.F. 2022

Manchuela, a region in central Spain historically known for producing bulk wine from the red grape Bobal, has recently seen a dramatic increase in quality-focused, small production wineries breaking the stereotypes of the region. Foremost amongst these is Juan Antonio Ponce, who crafts incredible wines from this once-maligned grape. P.F. - short for Pie Franco, meaning 'Ungrafted' - is sourced from four plots of an 85-year old single vineyard in the heart of the appellation. Intensely aromatic and wonderfully concentrated, this is a lighter, gentler iteration of Bobal, bursting with flavours of ripe forest fruits and herbs.  

96/100 - The 2022 P.F. has the depth and seriousness of the ungrafted vines and the balance of what they consider a great vintage for them. It has 13.5% alcohol, and it's juicy and has round tannins after fermenting and maturing in 4,500-liter oak vats for 10 months. It feels super balanced, serious, with depth and complexity, subtle, nicely integrated, fine-boned and balanced. This feels more harmonious, more than most of the rest of 2022s. It's tasty, subtle and elegant. These last few vintages are a lot more elegant and less rustic than the wines were in the past, and the tannins are fine-grained and round. 18,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2023. - Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate