Alegre Valgañón Clarete 2024

Alegre Valganon Clarete comes from the small Alegre Valganon estate in the cool, high western reaches of D.O.Ca. Rioja. It is a clarete, the traditional deeper-hued rosado made by working red and white grapes together, here Garnacha Tinta for red fruit and body and white Viura for freshness and lift. The vineyards sit at altitude in the Atlantic-influenced part of Rioja, where the Cantabrian mountains bring a cooler, wetter climate, cold nights and a long, slow ripening that holds onto acidity and gives the wine its tension. Clay-limestone soils add structure. This is a textured, gastronomic rosado rather than a simple summer drink. It spends seven months ageing on its lees, split between oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. The barrel portion softens the wine and adds a savoury, nutty edge through slow oxygen exchange, while the long lees contact releases mannoproteins that broaden and round the palate. The colour is a bright, deeper pink. The nose shows strawberry, cherry and white peach with citrus and a subtle nutty note. The palate is dry, broad and savoury, with herbal freshness and a peppery close. Serve at 10 to 12C. It suits grilled pork, roast poultry and richer fish.