Condado de Oriza Crianza 2023

Condado de Oriza Crianza is a monovarietal Tinta del País, the local Tempranillo, from D.O. Ribera del Duero, made by Pagos del Rey in Olmedillo de Roa. The grapes come from vineyards more than twenty years old on the high plateau of the Duero valley, where the continental climate brings hot days and cold nights and a marked diurnal range. That swing lets the grapes ripen fully while holding their acidity, and the altitude extends the growing season, building colour, tannin and dark fruit concentration. The wine is aged fourteen months in American oak, which adds vanilla, coconut and sweet toast while the slow ingress of oxygen through the barrel polishes the firm Ribera tannins into a smoother frame. It is deep ruby with a purple rim, full bodied, showing dark plum and black cherry, vanilla and toasted oak, with cocoa and a touch of liquorice and pepper. The tannins are substantial and the finish is long and structured. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees with a decant of an hour, ideally with roasted and grilled red meats. It is a wine that rewards hearty, savoury food.