Aalto 2023

Aalto 2023 is made by the Aalto winery in D.O. Ribera del Duero, the venture founded in 1998 by oenologist Mariano García after three decades in the region. The wine is built on Tinto Fino, the local Tempranillo, from old vines across high-altitude sites in the appellation. Old vines carry small, concentrated crops, and the high, exposed plots on limestone and clay soils ripen slowly under a strongly continental climate. The wide swing between hot days and cold nights builds ripe dark fruit, deep colour and firm tannin while preserving the acidity that keeps the wine balanced at fifteen per cent alcohol. The wine ages for sixteen months in French and American oak, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannin and adds spice, vanilla and cocoa, the two oak types broadening the spice range. The colour is intense and deep. The nose shows ripe red and dark fruit over pepper, tobacco and sweet spice. The palate is full bodied and concentrated, with firm ripe tannin, fresh acidity and a long, spiced finish. Serve at 17C, decanting an hour or two ahead. It suits roast and grilled red meat, lamb, game and aged hard cheese.