Alvear Palacio Quemado Reserva 2020

Palacio Quemado Reserva is a red wine from D.O. Ribera del Guadiana in Extremadura, made by Bodegas Palacio Quemado from old vines on their own estate. The region runs to warm summers and mild winters, a climate that pushes Tempranillo to full ripeness and gives a generous, fruit-driven style with softer acidity than the cooler Duero. Grapes are picked at full maturity in early September. After a long, careful maceration that draws colour and tannin from the skins, the wine ages for sixteen months in French and American oak followed by twenty months in bottle. The two oak types pull in different directions, French barrels lending firmer structure and savoury spice, American barrels adding sweeter vanilla and coconut tones, while the extended bottle ageing settles the tannins before release. It shows a deep ruby colour, with ripe red and black fruit, liquorice and a layer of sweet spice and roasted notes from the wood. The palate is round and full, warm in alcohol at fourteen percent, with ripe tannins and a long, spiced finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanting briefly if young; it works well with grilled and roasted red meat.