Alaya Tierra 2023

Alaya Tierra is made by Bodegas Atalaya, part of the Juan Gil family group, in D.O. Almansa in the province of Albacete. It is a single-varietal wine from Garnacha Tintorera, also known as Alicante Bouschet, a teinturier grape with red flesh as well as red skin, which is the reason for its dense colour and deep, dark fruit. The grapes come from old vines planted at around 1,000 metres on the high plateau of inland Spain. At that altitude under a continental climate with very low rainfall, the vines yield little but ripen fully, while the cold nights preserve freshness and acidity in fruit that reaches 16 percent alcohol. After fermentation the wine ages fifteen months in French and American oak, which rounds the tannins through slow oxidation and frames the concentrated fruit with spice and a touch of vanilla. It shows an intense nose of prune, date and black olive with hints of ripe tomato, leading to a full, ripe, warming palate with soft tannin and a long finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanting ahead. It suits braised beef, grilled lamb and rich, slow-cooked dishes.