Castro Ventosa Valtuille La Vitoriana 2022

Castro Ventosa, run by the Pérez family, works in the Bierzo appellation of Castilla y León, drawing this red from old vines around the village of Valtuille. The blend is led by Mencía, the region's signature grape, with a little dark-fleshed Alicante Bouschet for colour and depth. Bierzo sits in a sheltered mountain basin in the northwest, and its slate and clay soils, broken by quartz, give Mencía its characteristic mineral, graphite edge. The cool Atlantic-influenced climate and wide day-to-night temperature range preserve acidity and the grape's floral, peppery aromatics. Farmed organically, the wine ages twelve months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and adds a measured savoury frame. It pours a deep ruby. The nose shows red berries and ripe plum over earthy, slatey tones, liquorice and a peppery lift, with light oak in support. The palate is medium bodied, the fruit held by fresh acidity, fine tannins and a long, mineral, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, ideally decanted, with roast lamb or grilled red meat.