Manchego 1605 - Finca Sierra La Solana *Third of a Pound*

Manchego 1605 - Finca Sierra La Solana, Third of a Pound

Named for the year Cervantes wrote Don Quixote, which mentions the cheese, Manchego 1605 is a raw milk, natural rinded version aged between six and nine months. The paste is firm and slightly granular, with flavors of sweet, earthy milk offset by a warm spice that never turns harsh.

Why you'll love it

• Raw sheep's milk — unpasteurized Manchega milk, aged six to nine months.
• Firm and granular — a texture that shows the age, dry but not dusty.
• Sweet, earthy milk — the flavor is deep and rounded, closer to browned butter than to salt.
• Warm spice, never harsh — a gentle heat on the finish instead of the usual peppery bite.
• Natural rind — the rind is left to form on its own, no coating or coloring.

How to enjoy Pair it with a full bodied tannic red, a dry sherry or a handful of fresh grapes, as the producer suggests. It also grates into a fine croqueta.

An aged Manchego with real depth, and one that rewards a good bottle more than a cracker.