2004 Finca Sandoval Manchuela

Victor de la Serna went from conventional journalism to wine writing, and then finally to winemaking, having founded this estate in Machuela in 1994. This region southeast of Madrid had largely been forgotten, but Serna figured that it had great potential for Syrah, and brought in vine cuttings from Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf du Pape. He was right, as each vintage of his lush, black fruit- and chocolate-driven wine has been richer and more refined than the one before. (The house blend now includes bits of Mourvèdre, Tempranillo and Bobal, a nearly forgotten local variety.)

Victor de la Serna went from conventional journalism to wine writing, and then finally to winemaking, having founded this estate in Machuela in 1994. This region southeast of Madrid had largely been forgotten, but Serna figured that it had great potential for Syrah, and brought in... more