Bodegas y Vinedos Ponce, Manchuela, PF Pie Franco

Stabbed with the Coravin. Not quite as enthusiastic as my note on 3/17/2025, but generally consistent as to the aromatics and flavor profile. Blackberry, tar, dried meats (speck), herbs (sage, thyme), a whiff of roses, some strawberry jam. Fruit and earth on the palate, moving to more berry fruits (and acids) in addition to a little pepper and espresso. Good length. Improves with air, suggesting more bottle time is needed. Great QPR. Need to wait a year at least before …

QPR Search I recently purchased two mixed cases of wine, 18 of which were single bottles, with the objective of discovering daily drinkers (and more) that I can buy by the case to have on hand. The basic criteria was WA rating >90 and price <$20. This one was RP 95 and $17.99. Serious wine that demands your attention. Deep, nearly opaque garnet. Alluring nose of jammy blackberry, peppercorns, and some herbaceousness (sliced bell pepper, sage, thyme). The fruit density …

Ripe blackberry, wet mud, and herbs on the nose. Dark berries, leather, some tobacco, and pepper follow through to the palate. Medium body that finishes dry yet flavorful!

Last of 2 bttls. Unimpressed with both. Fat, muddy, syrupy flavors without much distinction. Not my thing

100% Bobal from an old (80 yo), ungrafted vineyard in Manchuela. PF officially stands for "Pie Franco", ie. ungrafted vines. The hand-harvested grapes are crushed by foot, then fermented spontaneously and aged in old, neutral oak casks. 13% alcohol. Youthful, slightly translucent ruby-red color. The nose feels youthful, somewhat primary and still a tiny bit lactic with some yogurty notes of MLF along with aromas of blueberries and black cherries, some crushed dark berries, a little bit of fresh boysenberry, …

Suckling gave this 93. I am a little lower. Still really great wine. You can taste the old vines - great depth and complexity.

Revenge! Decided to open another bottle this week after last weeks flawed one. This one was very nice; deep blueberry fruit, citrusy tartness and a smooth finish. There's a spicy layer that I find difficult to pin but I do get some evergreen tree vibes.

Heat damage or just oxidized? Don't know. Lots of sediment in bottle leaving the wine opaque and the walls of the glass and decanter dirty.

Quite muted nose. A bit out of balance, demanding tannins. Needs time to eventually shine brighter than today.

4 vineyards of very old ungrafted vines. Low intervention winemaking. The wine is balanced, smooth and tasty. Young grippy tannins, but mellow soft fruit, ripe. Rich black fruit, not over the top, good harmony.

Clear, deep intensity, purple color. Initially the nose is tight and shows a distinct note of paint bucket. After an hour in the decanter the nose has really opened up displaying black cherry, blackberry, meat, damp soil, fresh herbs and violets. Not far from a fruit forward, southern Rhône wine from some of the cooler villages. Bone dry, medium acidity, medium(+) body and medium(+) tannins. Good intensity of flavors and a bit rugged mouthfeel. The finish is lingering with the …

Mörk tät färg Choklad, iskaffe, tobak, lingon, kryddig i form av julkryddor Oerhört torrt och strävt, bra längd, fylligt och runt, möjligen lite stickigt. bra med syra. Finns det möjligtvis en liten sötma? Bobal är en härlig druva som jag verkligen borde köpa mer av.

The wine is clear and bright with a deep purple colour. The nose is clean and developing, showing pronounced intensity aromas of ripe black cherries, dark plums, blackberries, cedar, vanilla and hints of liquorice. The wine is dry in the mouth with a medium acidity. It has high stalky tannins and a high warm alcohol. It has a full body and pronounced intensity flavours. The finish is medium+. It is a very good quality wine. It has a persistent finish …

Drinkable but not memorable !

Emerging Wine Regions (Princeton Wine Tasting Club) (Princeton) : PF allegedly stands for Pre Phylloxera - this is from an old plot of Bobal. Nose: soft, black pepper, not a lot of fruit. P: some bitterness, pepper, hot-like grenache. Score lost.