1980 Manchego Curado DOP is a mature sheep’s milk cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin, made by Quesos Julián Olivas in Santa Ana, near Albacete in Spain’s Castilla-La Mancha region. It is made from raw Manchega sheep’s milk and aged for at least seven months.

Salt, lactic cultures, and animal rennet are added to the milk, and egg-derived lysozyme is used as a preservative. The natural rind is brushed with extra virgin olive oil. The cheese has a firm, compact, yellowish-ivory interior with small, irregularly scattered eyes.

It has a pronounced sheep’s milk aroma with nutty and lightly toasted notes, and a full flavor that lingers. Let it sit briefly at room temperature before serving it in thin slices with a glass of aged red wine from Castilla-La Mancha.