Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha Viñas Viejas 2023

Bodegas San Alejandro, founded in 1962 in Miedes de Aragón, produces this old vine Garnacha within D.O. Calatayud in the highlands of Aragón. The vineyards sit on poor, stony slopes at altitude, where the rocky subsoil retains little water and forces the old vines to limit their yield, concentrating sugar and colour in small berries. A wide diurnal range, with hot days and cold mountain nights, slows ripening and preserves the natural acidity that keeps Garnacha fresh at high ripeness. The wine ages ten months in French and American oak, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves softens the tannins and adds vanilla and sweet spice without masking the fruit. It pours a deep ruby red. The nose leads with ripe raspberry and plum, black pepper and a thread of liquorice, with vanilla and toasted oak behind. The palate is full and warm at 14% alcohol, with round tannins, ripe red and dark berry fruit and a savoury, earthy finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanting young bottles for half an hour. It suits grilled lamb, roast beef and hard sheep's cheese.