Diez-Caballero Vendimia Seleccionada 2018

Diez-Caballero is a small family winery in Elciego, in the Alava part of Rioja. It began as a producer of bulk wine and turned to bottling its own wines in 1979, and is now run by the next generation across 25 hectares of vineyard. This Vendimia Seleccionada is made from Tempranillo grown on selected plots. Rioja Alavesa lies on the cooler, higher northern bank of the Ebro, where clay-limestone soils and a climate moderated by the Sierra de Cantabria give wines freshness and structure. The wide diurnal range at altitude helps the grapes hold acidity while ripening fully. The wine is aged for 19 months in oak barrels, a Reserva-level maturation, where slow oxygen exchange through the wood softens the tannins and layers in vanilla, tobacco and spice. It pours a deep cherry red with garnet edges. The nose shows ripe cherry and plum over leather, tobacco and oak. On the palate it is medium to full bodied with fresh acidity and fine, savoury tannins, the finish long and spiced. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted ahead, with roast lamb, grilled beef or hard cheese.