Francisco Barona 2024

Francisco Barona returned to his native Ribera del Duero in 2009 after studying oenology in Bordeaux and working in cellars around the world, then set out to recover century-old vineyards around Pedrosa de Duero. From 2011 he bought five majuelos planted with old vines, fruit that had previously been sold off, and turned them into this singular red. The blend is led by Tinto Fino and rounded out with old field-planted Albillo, Bobal, Garnacha Tinta and Monastrell, the kind of co-planted mix that survives in the region's oldest plots. These low-yielding ancient vines, rooted in the limestone and stony soils of the high Duero valley, concentrate the fruit, while the wide day-to-night temperature swing of the altitude keeps acidity and aromatic lift. After fermentation the wine spends eighteen months in French oak, which knits the tannins and adds cedar and spice while the slow oxygen exchange builds complexity. Expect a deep, full-bodied red with ripe plum, black cherry and red berry, layered with liquorice, tobacco and an earthy, mineral depth. The palate is structured and long, the old-vine concentration carried by fresh acidity. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant. A red for roast and grilled meats.