Barón de Ley Varietales Maturana 2023

Barón de Ley Varietales Maturana is a single variety Rioja from the winery at Mendavia, made entirely from Maturana Tinta, an old local grape recovered and replanted in the region. The estate holds around four hundred hectares spread across different zones of Rioja, from the cooler Alavesa to the warmer Rioja Baja, which lets the team match this grape to the microclimate that suits it. Maturana is naturally deep in colour, firm in tannin and high in acidity, and it ripens to dark fruit with a herbal, balsamic streak. The wine is aged twelve months in French oak barrels, where the slow exchange of oxygen through the wood softens the tannins and adds a fine spice and cocoa tone, while the tighter grain of French oak keeps the wood in support rather than the foreground. It pours a dense, almost opaque ruby. The nose shows stewed ripe dark fruit with a whisper of mint, cocoa and a clear mineral edge. The palate is structured and full, with firm but ripe tannins, a savoury earthiness and a long finish carried by the grape's bright acidity. Decant an hour ahead and serve at 16 to 18 degrees alongside roasted and grilled red meats.