The villages of Utiel and Requena are in Valencia at the hot, dry edge of the highland massif of central Spain. This is also the spiritual homeland of Bobal, Spain’s third most common grape variety and one of its most obscure, one of many varieties doomed to toiling in the shadows for the simple sin of producing large yields. Most wineries who grow it make cheap bulk wine, but Vera de Estenas is one of a handful of growers who have recently started making quality Bobal from some of the oldest vines in Spain – some over 100 years old. Felix Martinez tends these vines organically, and uses only concrete tanks in the cellar to preserve the pure expression of terroir. Aromas of black plum and cranberry sauce mix with cinnamon and potting-soil earth notes. The palate is rich with elegant but ever-present tannins, stewed plum and raspberry fruit with enough acidity to keep things moving into a savory, earthy finish. Serve this with hearty, mushroomy dishes.