El Vigía de La Atalaya 2024

El Vigía de La Atalaya is made by the Atalaya de Juan Gil project in D.O. Almansa, in Albacete, where the Castilian plateau meets Mediterranean influence. The wine comes from old vines of Garnacha Tintorera, a teinturier grape with red flesh as well as red skin, which gives unusually deep colour and dark fruit. The vineyards spread across various plots on the high, dry flatlands of La Mancha, where altitude and cool nights preserve freshness in a hot region and help the old vines ripen evenly at low yields. Farming is certified organic and the wine is vegan, made without animal-derived fining agents. After fermentation it completes malolactic conversion to soften acidity, then ages twelve months in oak barrels, the barrel exchange settling tannin and adding vanilla, spice and a cocoa edge. The wine is a vivid cherry-red moving to deep purple. The nose shows ripe blackberry and plum with pepper and sweet spice, and the palate is full and warm, with ripe tannin, generous fruit and a long, gently spiced finish behind the 14.5% alcohol. Serve at 16 to 17C. It suits grilled meats and roasted vegetables.