Estévez Bodegas y Viñedos Versos Casares 2023

Estévez Bodegas y Viñedos farm old vines at Valtuille de Abajo in Bierzo, in Castilla y León, reviving vineyards the family has held for generations. Casares is built on Mencía with Alicante Bouschet and a portion of the white grape Palomino, co fermented from the same parcels under the region's recent village and site classification. The soils combine slate, clay and quartzite, and the wide gap between warm days and cool nights preserves acidity and aromatic detail, keeping the wine fresh at 13.5 percent. It ages twelve months in 500 litre French oak barrels, a larger format that gives gentler wood influence and a slower oxygen exchange than a standard barrique, so the fruit stays to the fore while the tannins settle. The colour is bright red, the nose led by red berry and plum with a savoury, mineral edge and notes of black pepper and dried herbs. The palate is medium bodied and fresh, with fine tannin and a clean, earthy finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees after a short decant. It suits roast meats, grilled lamb and mushroom dishes.