De Sol a Sol Tempranillo 2020

Esencia Rural is the project of Julián Ruiz Villanueva, who returned to Quero, in Toledo, to work in organic farming and turned to organic wine in 1998, with fifty hectares of vines, many of them old. This is a single-variety Tempranillo, Spain's classic red grape, made naturally. La Mancha is a high, dry plateau with a continental climate of hot days and cold nights, and that wide diurnal swing helps the fruit ripen while holding onto acidity and colour. The wine spends twelve months in used French oak barrels, which round the tannins and add structure and a light spice rather than the bold vanilla of new wood, letting the fruit and savoury character lead. The colour is a deep cherry red. The nose shows ripe cherry, plum and red berries over dried herbs, tobacco, a soft leather note and a touch of vanilla. The palate is medium to full, with firm but ripe tannins, fresh acidity and a savoury, earthy finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees, decanting briefly. It is a natural match for roast lamb and grilled red meat.