This is wine from the land of Don Quixote. High on the Meseta of central Spain, South and East of Madrid the continental climate is blazing hot in the Summer but cools off every night thanks to the elevation, allowing the grapes to ripen more slowly, gaining complexity while maintaining the balance between sugar and acid. The bodega is a collaboration between three Rioja winemaker friends who saw the potential in one of their family’s vineyards near Toledo. Their Cencibel, the local clone of Tempranillo, is farmed organically and sustainably and is uniquely suited to the harsh climate of La Mancha. Its smaller, more compact bunch sizes and thicker skins withstand the heavy winds, but its most impressive trick is its resistance to drought. In a place with very little rainfall and abundant heat, the vines are not irrigated. The vines are an average of 50 years old and the limestone & clay soils produce a spicy and smooth Tempranillo. After pressing, the juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks followed by malolactic in cement amphora (tinajas) with a final 5-8 months of aging in French and American oak barrels (Roble is Spanish for oak) to produce a medium-bodied wine with fine-grained tannins and aromas of fruit and spices.