Cueva del Monge Tinto 2020

Vinícola Real produce Cueva del Monge Tinto in D.O.Ca. Rioja, from Tempranillo vines at Albelda de Iregua. The harvest is done by hand, with the grapes carried in small 15-kilogram boxes to keep them sound and unbruised on the way to the cellar, a careful approach that protects fruit quality before fermentation. The grapes are destemmed and gently pressed without pressure, then fermented over twelve days at 28 degrees, a warm fermentation that extracts colour and structure from the skins. Rioja's location, sheltered by the Sierra de Cantabria and open to both Mediterranean and Atlantic influence, gives a long, even growing season that ripens Tempranillo fully while holding its acidity, keeping the wine balanced at 13.5% alcohol. Ageing runs to ten months in a mix of French and American oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and the two oak types add a frame of vanilla, sweet spice and a subtle cedar note. The wine is bright cherry red. The nose shows red cherry, ripe plum and red berries lifted by gentle oak spice. The palate is medium-bodied and rounded, with supple tannins, fresh acidity and a clean, spiced finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees. It suits roast meats and stews.