La Brecha Finca La Larga 2019

La Brecha Finca La Larga is a Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero in Castilla y León, made by Curro Bareño and Jesús Olivares of Fedellos do Couto. The pair built their reputation in Ribeira Sacra before swapping the Sil valley for the Duero, where they farm old vines under respectful agriculture. Ribera del Duero sits high on the Castilian plateau, and that altitude is decisive, giving very cold nights that preserve acidity and colour while the long warm days ripen the thick skinned Tinto Fino fully. The soils are limestone and sand over clay, poor and free draining, which keeps yields low and concentrates the old vine fruit. Ageing runs twelve months in used French oak, the seasoned barrels chosen so that slow oxygen exchange builds structure and rounds the tannins without overlaying fresh oak. The colour is deep, almost opaque purple. The nose is dark and savoury, with black plum, cherry and red berries lifted by liquorice and tobacco, and the palate is full and firmly structured, the altitude acidity keeping the dense fruit fresh while grainy tannins carry a long, earthy finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted an hour ahead. It calls for roast lamb.