Hacienda Solano Finca Cascorrales 2019

Finca Cascorrales is a single vineyard Tempranillo, locally Tinto Fino, from Hacienda Solano in D.O. Ribera del Duero. This is a small operation making about 25,000 bottles a year, run by the Cubillo and Sarrion families with Alsatian winemaker Sophie Khun, working traditionally and with a strong environmental commitment as pioneers of emissions certification in the appellation. Ribera del Duero has a continental climate with hot, dry summers, cold winters and a marked swing between day and night temperatures; that diurnal range preserves acidity and colour while the fruit ripens fully, here to 14.5% alcohol. Fruit from a single site adds consistency and a defined character. The wine ages 18 months in French oak barrels, which resolves the firm tannin typical of the region and adds cedar, vanilla and a fine toast. The colour is deep, dark cherry. The nose shows black plum, blackberry and red berries over cocoa, liquorice and earth. The palate is full bodied and structured, with ripe, gripping tannin, fresh acidity and a long, savoury finish framed by oak. Serve at 17 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It suits roast and grilled red meat and earthy mushroom dishes.