<a href="http://myplanetavino.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/manchuela-finca-sandoval-2004.jpg" title="Finca Sandoval 2004"><img align="right" src="http://myplanetavino.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/manchuela-finca-sandoval-2004.thumbnail.JPG" alt="Finca Sandoval 2004" /></a>The Denominacion de Origen (DO) Manchuela, or wine appellation, is located in eastern La Mancha, close to the beautiful town of Cuenca.  This is one of the newest DOs in Spain, formed from the natural break-up of huge La Mancha into more coherent appellations.  Much of the production is still mediocre, but there are more interesting wines being made these days. 
One of the pioneers in the area is Finca Sandoval, a winery which makes consistently excellent wines in a challengingly hot climate. The winery was founded in 1998 and is the personal project of a well known Spanish wine critic, Victor de la Serna.  There search for quality includes traditional open-top fermentation vats with manual punch down…the wines are neither fined nor filtered.  Most of the grapes are local:  Bobal, Monastrell, and Garnacha, but they also have some great Syrah, using clones from Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  There are only two wines:  Salia is a great entry-level option at only about 12 euros. See below for my comments on their top wine:  Finca Sandoval. 

Wine:  Finca Sandoval
Winery:  Bodegas Finca Sandoval
Vintage: 2004
Denominacion de Origen (DO): Manchuela
Alc: 14.5%
Grape variety: 83% Syrah, 9% Monastrell, 8% Bobal
Oak regime:  aged 11 months in French oak (40% new)
Price:  about 20 euros in Spain

Tasting notes
Visual:  Deep purple color
Nose:  Big intense nose with liqueur plum fruit…a touch hot…a little oak spice, but huge fruit dominates. 
Mouth:  Big footprint in mouth….mouth filling. Plum fruit dominates, but good balance with sufficient freshness and huge, yet smooth tannins.  Once again the alcohol jumps a little in the mouth, but not aggressive and doesn't distract from the intensity of the other elements.  Good complexity
Food:  This is a big wine that overwhelmed many of our dishes but was perfect with the huge chuleta my husband and brother-in-law shared!  I kept sneaking bites to go with my wine! 

Conclusion:  The Mediterranean Syrahs can be so alcoholic and flat.  This is Med done well!  It has heat written all over it, but all the elements are in balance.  I don't mind big wines, as long as everything is big!  Also, most critically in this wine:  sufficient and balanced acidity.  In so many southern Spanish wines, we either find a lack of acidity or the piercing sharpness of over-adjusted acidity levels.  Another plus the fruit is sweet and jammy in flavour yet not over-ripe and burnt tasting. 
Really very good wine….especially for those of you who appreciate a big, new world style!