Celler del Roure Vermell 2024

Celler del Roure works in Moixent, in the uplands of inland Valencia, reviving local grape varieties and old techniques and giving them a modern reading. Vermell, meaning red in Valencian, is built around the indigenous Mandó and Arcos, two near forgotten varieties grown on limestone rich soils at altitude where cool nights preserve freshness and lift. After fermentation the wine spends four to six months ageing in clay amphorae rather than oak. The porous clay allows slow, gentle oxygen exchange that softens the wine and rounds its texture, while adding none of the vanilla or toast of barrel, so the fruit and the mineral character of the site stay in focus. The colour is a bright, light ruby. The nose offers raspberry, cherry and wild herbs over a chalky, stony note. The palate is light and fresh, with fine tannins, a clear seam of minerality and a savoury, faintly saline finish that reflects the amphora ageing and the limestone soils. Serve at 14 to 16 degrees, lightly chilled if you like. It suits grilled pork, poultry and vegetable dishes.