Abadía Retuerta Cuvée Palomar 2021

Cuvee Palomar is a red from Abadia Retuerta in Sardon de Duero, in Castilla y Leon, a historic wine the estate stopped making in 2005 and has now brought back. It is a blend led by Tempranillo with Garnacha, Graciano and Malbec, each variety drawn from the plots that suit it best across an estate mapped and farmed for soil and altitude since the 1990s. The vineyards sit on the slopes of the Duero, where warm days and cool nights extend ripening, hold acidity and keep the aromatics fresh, while the varied soils give the blend its different threads of fruit, structure and lift. The wine spent 18 months in French oak, a maturation that knits the components together, rounds the tannin and adds cedar and spice through slow contact with the wood. The colour is deep ruby. The nose shows ripe plum and red currant with sweet spice and a savoury, earthy undertone, while the palate is medium to full bodied, with fine tannin, fresh acidity and a long, balanced finish. Decant ahead and serve at 17 degrees. It pairs well with roast lamb and game.