Box Magnum Pruno Gift 2023

This is the magnum gift edition of Pruno, the second wine of Finca Villacreces in D.O. Ribera del Duero, presented in a rigid cylindrical box. The blend is Tinto Fino, the local name for Tempranillo, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The vines grow on the high plateau of the Duero valley, where stony, sandy soils and a wide gap between hot days and cold nights let the grapes build colour, tannin and ripe fruit while holding their acidity. The wine ages twelve months in oak barrels. During that time malolactic conversion softens the acidity, the tannins polymerise and round out through slow contact with oxygen, and the wood lends vanilla, spice and a fine grained structure. The magnum format, with its larger volume to surface ratio, also lets the wine age more slowly in bottle. The colour is deep, dark cherry with a violet rim. The nose shows ripe plum, black cherry and blackberry, with chocolate, liquorice and sweet spice from the oak. The palate is full and structured, with firm but ripe tannins and a long, dark fruited finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, ideally decanted an hour ahead. It pairs with roast lamb, grilled beef and mature cheeses.