Box 3 bottles Abadía Retuerta Selección Especial Gift 2021

Abadía Retuerta works just outside the Ribera del Duero boundary in Sardón de Duero, Castilla y León, on varied gravel, clay and limestone soils across a single estate. Selección Especial is its most recognisable red, a Tempranillo-led blend completed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Petit Verdot, each variety planted to the plots that suit it. The continental climate and the river-influenced site give ripe fruit with firm acidity, and the wine is aged twelve months in French and American oak, which adds spice and toast while softening the tannins and fixing the deep colour through slow oxygen exchange. It pours deep ruby and shows a nose of ripe plum and black cherry layered with cocoa, sweet tobacco and vanilla from the barrel. The palate is full bodied and polished, with dense dark fruit, fine firm tannins and a long, spiced finish that reflects the multi-variety blend. Consistent year after year, it is an easy red to keep on hand. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted, in a large glass. This three-bottle box suits a gift or a long table with roast meat. It is built for beef, lamb and mushroom dishes.