Hacienda el Ternero Torno Crianza 2021

Hacienda el Ternero Torno Crianza is a varietal Tempranillo from Hacienda El Ternero, an estate in Rioja Alta whose history reaches back to 1077, when it formed part of the Monastery of Herrera. The property is unusual in that it is the only winery within the Burgos province of Castilla y León to hold the D.O.Ca. Rioja designation, a small 250-hectare enclave set in the cooler western reaches of the region. That cooler, Atlantic-influenced climate gives a longer growing season, helping the Tempranillo keep its freshness and develop fine tannins. The wine is aged twelve months in French oak barrels, the Crianza minimum, during which slow oxygen ingress through the wood softens the tannins and adds vanilla, clove and a light toast to the fruit. It pours a deep cherry red. The nose shows ripe red and black fruit framed by vanilla and sweet spice, and the palate is medium bodied, savoury and rounded, with supple tannins and an earthy, leathery finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees in a Bordeaux glass, decanted briefly if needed. It is a reliable match for lamb, beef and roast pork.