Chivite Finca Legardeta Tinto 2023

Grupo Chivite, with roots going back to 1647, makes Finca Legardeta Tinto from its estate at Villatuerta in D.O. Navarra. The blend leads on Garnacha with Syrah and Tempranillo, planted on the estate's own vineyards in a region that combines Mediterranean warmth with cooler Atlantic and mountain influence. That balance lets Garnacha ripen to its generous, red-fruited best while keeping freshness, and the Syrah adds colour, pepper and structure. The wine ages 12 months in French oak, where gentle oxygen exchange through the staves softens the tannins and adds vanilla and toast without dominating the fruit. It pours a deep red. The nose shows ripe raspberry and plum, black pepper and a thread of dried herbs, with vanilla and sweet oak behind. The palate is full and warm at 14.5% alcohol, with round, ripe tannins, generous red and dark berry fruit and a long, savoury finish. This is Garnacha-led Navarra in a ripe, rounded register. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanting briefly. It pairs well with grilled and roast meat.