2023 Bodegas Y Viñedos Ponce, ‘P.F.’ Manchuela

Bodegas Ponce ‘P.F.’ Manchuela is a soulful, expressive red that beautifully reflects both the old vines it hails from and the thoughtful, low-intervention hand of Juan Antonio Ponce. The “P.F.” stands for Pie Franco—ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines—many of which are 85+ years old, rooted in chalky clay soils at high elevation. This wine is made entirely from Bobal, a grape too often relegated to bulk wine but here elevated to something special.
Ponce harvests by hand, chills the fruit, and uses full-cluster, whole-bunch fermentation in the traditional remango style. The result is a wine that balances wild energy with polish: aromas of leather, cured meat, red cherry, cranberry, and strawberry leap from the glass, while the palate is lifted and fresh, with soft, mouth-coating tannins and a savory edge. It’s a structured, elegant, and deeply regional wine that captures the best of natural winemaking with old-vine intensity.