Edulis Crianza 2022

Edulis Crianza 2022 is a Rioja red made entirely from Tempranillo by Altanza, a winery founded in 1998 in Fuenmayor, in the heart of Rioja Alta. The grapes come from vineyards planted between 380 and 500 metres on clay-calcareous soils and ferrous clay, a combination that holds water through the dry summer and lends the wine firm structure and freshness. The vineyards are managed without chemical herbicides or pesticides. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel to keep the fruit clean and precise, after which the wine spends 12 months in French and American oak barrels. That barrel ageing exposes the wine to slow oxygen exchange and draws out vanilla, clove and a savoury, leathery complexity, the hallmark of a classic Rioja Crianza. The wine is a deep cherry red. The nose carries ripe red fruit, vanilla and tobacco, with a hint of coffee. The palate is medium bodied and balanced, with rounded tannin, savoury oak spice and a long finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees. It is a fine match for roast lamb and aged Manchego.