Legaris Moradillo de Roa 2020

Moradillo de Roa is a single-village wine from Legaris, the Codorníu Raventós estate in the Ribera del Duero, drawn from old Tinto Fino vines around the Burgos hamlet of the same name. Tinto Fino is the local strain of Tempranillo, thick-skinned and well adapted to the high plateau, where vineyards sit at altitude on chalk and clay soils. The extreme continental climate brings hot days and cold nights, a wide diurnal range that ripens the fruit fully while holding acidity and building colour and tannin. The wine is aged for twelve months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange polishes the firm tannins and layers in spice, cocoa and toast. The colour is deep, ripe cherry, dense in the glass. The nose shows liquorice, cocoa and mineral over dark cherry and plum. The palate is full-bodied and structured, with substantial ripe tannin, warming alcohol at 15 percent and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanting an hour ahead to open the wine. It suits roast lamb, grilled beef and other red meats.