Gratias Terra 2022

Bodegas Gratias farms in Castilla-La Mancha, championing Tardana, a late-ripening local white that holds its acidity well in the region's hot, dry continental climate. Terra is an orange wine made by fermenting the grapes on their skins, which extracts tannin, colour and phenolic compounds and turns the wine amber. It then ages in clay amphorae, a porous vessel that allows controlled oxygen exchange and softens the tannin while building nutty, dried-fruit depth, all without the flavour of oak. Made naturally, with native yeasts and little or no added sulphur, the wine is savoury and structured rather than overtly fruity. The colour is deep amber. The nose shows dried apricot, orange peel and dried herbs, with beeswax and a faint earthiness underneath. The palate is dry and grippy, the skin tannin firm, the finish savoury and long, closing on almond and citrus peel. The structure and grip make it a food wine. Serve at 12 to 14 degrees in a broad glass. It suits roast pork, white fish in a herb crust and roasted roots.