Laus Reserva 2019

Laus is based in Barbastro, in the province of Huesca, working under D.O. Somontano in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This Reserva is made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon, a grape that thrives in the appellation's pre-Pyrenean conditions, where altitude and the proximity of the mountains bring cool nights. That diurnal range keeps acidity firm and helps Cabernet ripen its tannins fully while holding back the green, herbaceous edge the variety can show in cooler sites. The wine then spends thirteen months in French oak. French oak is tighter-grained than American, giving up its aromatics more slowly, so it adds cedar, fine spice and a subtle toast rather than overt sweetness, while the slow ingress of oxygen through the staves rounds the tannins and builds savoury complexity. The wine shows a deep ruby colour with garnet highlights, a nose of blackcurrant, dark cherry and plum lifted by tobacco and toasted oak, and a palate that is structured and balanced with grippy but ripe tannin. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanting for half an hour. It pairs with grilled red meat, roast lamb and hard mountain cheese.