Casa Castillo La Tendida 2023

Finca Casa Castillo sits on the elevated plateau of Jumilla in Murcia, southeastern Spain, where La Tendida is grown on chalky limestone soils that the estate now treats as the wine's defining factor rather than vine age alone. The site is hot and dry, but altitude and the wide swing between daytime heat and cool nights slow ripening and preserve acidity in the late-ripening Monastrell, here lifted by a portion of Garnacha. Limestone-rich subsoil holds what little water the vineyard receives and lends the wine its savoury, mineral spine. After fermentation the wine spends twelve months in large oak foudres, where the low ratio of wood surface to volume allows gentle oxygen exchange that rounds tannins and integrates fruit without imposing obvious oak flavour. The colour is deep, almost opaque dark red. The nose shows ripe blackberry and plum, black pepper, dried thyme and a stony, scrubland character typical of the region. The palate is full and warm at 14.5% with firm but ripe tannins and a long, peppery finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, ideally decanted an hour ahead. It suits roast lamb, grilled beef and aged hard cheese.