Abadal 5 Merlot 2021

Abadal works the small D.O. Pla del Bages, an inland Catalan appellation around Manresa, from a family estate whose roots at the Ramon Roqueta farmhouse run back centuries. Abadal 5 is a single-variety Merlot, the number marking its twelve months in barrel. Pla del Bages sits in a basin sheltered by hills, with calcareous soils and a continental climate of hot days and cool nights, a diurnal range that keeps the Merlot fresh and lifts its aromatics while the limestone lends structure. The grapes are fermented and then aged for twelve months in a mix of barrel types, where slow oxygen ingress softens the tannins and adds cedar, vanilla and a savoury spice that frames the fruit rather than covering it. The colour is deep ruby with a garnet rim. The nose shows ripe plum and black cherry, cocoa, tobacco and sweet oak. The palate is medium to full bodied and rounded, with supple tannins, fresh acidity and a savoury, earthy finish. Serve at 16 to 17C, decanted briefly, with roast beef, lamb or aged hard cheese.