Rosalie Molina and her husband Manolo Garrote founded Altolandon in 1998 with a mission to make more distinct wine from La Mancha, far better known for its windmills than its wine. They bought a small estate in the town of Landete, near Cuenca and about halfway between Madrid and Spain’s Mediterranean coast. Planted in a mix of soils at over 1100 meters elevation, Altolandon’s vineyards lend themselves easily to organic viticulture, with the cool wind and cold nights keeping away all the disease pressure of low elevation regions. Manchuela lives in the border region between the lowlands of Valencia and the highlands of La Mancha, and the Bobal grape is at home here. Thick skinned and full of the anthocyanin that gives wine deep color, Bobal is only recently getting attention as varietal wines. Altolandon’s version is gently handled, with just 4 months in used oak before bottling. Fresh aromas of red cherry, orange peel, peach pit, prune, sage, brown earth and saffron. The palate is silky and medium bodied, with chalky tannins wrapped around dew kissed cherries, underbrush, and bitter herbs. Fruit lingers on the finish. Serve this sappy, delicious wine with Paella.