Altos de Tamarón Reserva 2020

Altos de Tamarón Reserva is a Ribera del Duero red made by Pagos del Rey, the Solís family operation that began in Valdepeñas in 1975 and now runs cellars across Rueda, Toro, Rioja and Ribera del Duero. The Ribera winery sits in Olmedillo de Roa in Burgos, in the heart of the appellation, where the high plateau of Castilla y León brings cold nights and hot days. That wide diurnal range slows ripening and locks acidity into the Tinto Fino grapes while the skins build colour and tannin, which is what gives Ribera reds their depth at altitude. The wine is the Reserva tier, so it spends an extended period in oak followed by bottle age before release. The barrel time softens the firm tannins through slow oxygen exchange and layers in vanilla, toast and cocoa over the fruit. It pours a deep cherry red with brown nuances and opens with ripe red and black fruit, plum and blackberry, framed by sweet spice, tobacco and pepper. The palate is full and structured with a long savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, ideally decanted an hour ahead. Good with roast lamb, grilled beef and aged sheep cheese.