Jose Gil La Canoca 2024

José Gil is one of the younger growers reshaping Rioja, working vineyards his family has tended for generations around San Vicente de la Sonsierra in the Rioja Alta. La Canoca blends Tempranillo with a portion of the white grape Viura, a traditional field-blend approach for the area. The Sonsierra hillsides sit on calcareous clay soils that hold water through the dry summers and lend Tempranillo its firm acidity and red-fruited lift. The wine spends around ten months in oak barrels, a measured ageing that softens the tannins through slow oxygen exchange while leaving the fruit fresh rather than masking it. Co-fermenting or blending a little Viura adds aromatic detail and brightens the palate. The colour is medium ruby. The nose shows cherry and red plum with dried herbs, tobacco and a chalky, earthy note from the soils. The palate is medium bodied with bright acidity, fine grained tannins and a savoury, liquorice-tinged finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees, and decant young bottles for half an hour. It suits roast lamb, grilled beef and aged Manchego.