Sheep's Milk Cheese

One of the last small-batch, natural-rind Manchegos in production, the cheesemakers at Sierra la Solana age these wheels a minimum of 6 months to best develop the flavors of the milk. The sheep’s unique diet of grasses, grains, and olives from the groves in which they graze results in a perfectly balanced and  complex flavor, carrying notes of buttered toast and green almonds. 

A story so dreamy it sounds unreal: a CIA agent working in WWII Spain meets The Count of Romanones and falls in love. Together, they regenerate his Extremadura estates, with the goal of preserving traditional cheesemaking methods. Ridiculously spoiled sheep range free on the green fields, their feed supplemented by the farm’s own sweet granola mix; their rich milk produces these tiny, rugby ball shaped cheeses. These golden little wheels are floral and sweet, with notes of marigold and honey with a slightly wooly finish.

 

A fresh and bright slice of terroir from La Mancha. Albala is named for a grove in the Guadiana river where the two cheesemakers of Finca Fuentillezjos swam as children. Made with minimal ripening, Albala is essentially a fresh version of Fuentillezjos Manchego. Buttery, round and rich, with a texture that would be suitable for cooking as well as snacking on with a bit of Chorizo or Salchichon.