Cénit Field Blend Clarete Tradición 2023

Field Blend Clarete Tradición comes from Viñas del Cénit in Tierra del Vino de Zamora, in Castilla y León. It revives an old local practice: planting red and white grapes together in the same vineyard and fermenting them as one, so the blend is set in the field at planting rather than chosen later in the cellar. Here that means Garnacha and Tempranillo grown alongside white varieties, all picked and made together. A clarete is the traditional Spanish style that sits between a rosé and a light red, made by co-fermenting and macerating dark and pale grapes, which gives more colour, texture and grip than a modern pink wine. This bottling spends six months in barrel, where slow oxygen exchange through the wood softens the wine, adds a light spice and builds a savoury, nutty depth without dominating the fruit. At 14.5 percent it is full for a rosé. The colour is a deep pink to light red, with aromas of ripe strawberry, red cherry and plum over orange peel, almond and dried herbs. The palate is dry, broad and textured, with real length. Serve at 11 to 13 degrees.