Domaines Lupier El Terroir 2023

Domaines Lupier is a small winery in San Martín de Unx in Navarra, working old-vine Garnacha under the guidance of Raúl Pérez, one of Spain's most respected winemakers. El Terroir is drawn from old bush vines planted at altitude in the region's varied hillside soils, where the cool nights of a continental climate moderated by Atlantic influence preserve freshness and perfume in a grape that ripens to high sugar. Low-yielding old Garnacha gives concentrated, fine-boned fruit rather than sheer weight. The wine spends twenty-four months in French oak, a long élevage in which steady oxygen exchange polishes the tannins and adds cedar, spice and a fine savoury frame while the fruit holds its lift. The colour is an intense, bright ruby. The nose is complex and perfumed, with ripe red berries, sweet spice and a floral, almost wild-herb character typical of mountain Garnacha. The palate is full and ripe but kept fresh by acidity, with warm alcohol, layered red fruit and a long, spiced finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted, with roast lamb, game and mushroom dishes.