Corregüela 2023

Malahierba works in the D.O. Sierra de Salamanca, a small upland appellation in the south of Castilla y León where granite and slate soils sit at altitude near the Sistema Central. Rufete is the local grape, thin skinned and naturally light in colour and tannin, and the cool nights of these hills preserve its acidity and floral aromatics. The wine spends 22 months in a mix of used barrels and clay jars, an ageing regime that softens the wine and adds breadth without layering on oak flavour, while the porous clay allows gentle oxygen exchange that rounds the texture. The result is pale ruby in the glass, with a perfumed nose of wild red berries, rose petal and dried mountain herbs over a stony, earthy base. The palate is light bodied and fresh, with red currant fruit, fine grippy tannins and bright acidity carrying a savoury finish. At 11.5 percent alcohol it stays delicate and drinkable. Serve at 14 to 16 degrees, lightly chilled if you prefer, in a Burgundy glass. It suits roast chicken, mushroom dishes and lighter pork.