Atance is the venture of Bodegas Mustiguillo winemaker Toni Sarrión, master of the bobal variety, the native red grape of Valencia, and the Risky Grapes Wine Company, a boutique production company based in Valencia.

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Grown on the red sand and chalk of the Requena Plateau, just across the border from La Mancha (the classic red dirt, high and arid section of middle Spain, of Don Quixote fame), temperatures here are extreme, bringing dry, hot, sunny days. The high altitude is key, allowing the grapes to de-stress during cooler nights. This gives the wine its full-blown fruit power up front, but with a lighter dry light-tannic finish.

The 2019 Atance comes from a single-vineyard site, Casa Segura, situated near the town of Venta del Moro, on the western slopes of the Requena Plateau.

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Lots of stewed fruit on the nose, dark cherry compote, and jammy blackberry, with some burnt overtones, like blackstrap molasses. For all its punch, the wine finishes with nice light tannins (it's great a little chilled, at cellar temp). Some chocolate notes as well shine through. Good with stews, creamy mushroom sauces, and red meat.