Fabio Coullet Romé-Conte 2022

Rome-Conte is made by Fabio Coullet, a winegrower in the Axarquia district of Malaga, in the D.O. Malaga-Sierras de Malaga in southern Andalusia, from Rome, a rare local variety he has worked to preserve. The Axarquia is a hilly, hot coastal zone with poor slate soils, where steep slopes and sea influence temper the heat and help the grapes hold freshness and aromatic detail. Farming is organic, with minimal intervention in the cellar, so the wine shows the grape and place clearly. It ages thirteen months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and adds a savoury, spiced frame without covering the fruit. The colour is medium to deep red. The nose shows red berries and cherry lifted by Mediterranean dried herbs, thyme and a peppery, earthy note. The palate is medium bodied and savoury, with fresh acidity, fine tannins and a long herbal finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees and decant young bottles. It suits grilled and roast meats and hard cheese.