Tasting notes:

A co-operative with a history since the 1960s, its name pays homage to Don Manuel Quintano Bonifaz, an 18th-century priest, whose family had vines in Labastida. Don Manuel studied for the priesthood in Bayonne, which meant that he travelled to Bordeaux, where he saw how the French cultivated grapes and matured wines in barriques. A genuine expression of old vines from Labastida (and its surrounds), cultivated at altitudes around 1,200m, this wine exhibits a deep ruby hue, and red and dark berry fruits, with a subtle hint of smoky oak. The mid-weight palate has good freshness, smooth-textured tannins and a cinnamon spice overlay. Savoury on the finish, this will be a good pairing for glazed baby back spare ribs. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)