Áster Finca El Otero 2021

Áster Finca El Otero is a single-estate Ribera del Duero red from Áster, the project La Rioja Alta group established in the appellation in 1989. The wine comes from the El Otero estate in Anguix in Burgos, a vineyard at 830 metres altitude on sandy-loam soils of low fertility. That height places the vines among the highest in the region, where intense daytime sun and very cold nights create a wide diurnal range that builds deep colour, firm tannins and ripe fruit while holding the acidity, and the poor sandy soils keep yields low and concentration high. Made from Tinta del País, the local Tempranillo, the wine ages fifteen months in French oak barrels, whose finer grain lends measured spice and toast while slow oxygen exchange refines the tannins. The 2021 vintage was rated Excellent by the appellation. It is deep, near-opaque red. The nose is profound, with ripe plum and dark berries, liquorice, cocoa and vanilla, and the palate is full bodied and powerful, with firm, fine-grained tannins and a long, savoury finish. At 15.5 percent it carries real weight but stays composed. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanted for an hour. It suits grilled beef and game.