Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Salinillas de Buradón 2021

Lindes de Remelluri is Telmo Rodríguez's collection of village wines from Rioja Alavesa, and this bottling comes from Salinillas de Buradón, a hamlet near the Granja de Remelluri named for the saline spring that once shaped the region's trade routes. The blend is Tempranillo with Garnacha Tinta and other traditional red varieties grown in the cooler, higher reaches of the Sierra de Cantabria. These calcareous clay soils and the altitude give a long, slow ripening that preserves acidity and lends the wine its fresh red fruit and herbal lift. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically, which favours older vines and lower yields. The wine spends twelve months in oak barrels, softening the tannins through measured oxygen exchange while keeping the fruit clear and unmasked. The colour is medium ruby. The nose shows wild berries and cherry with dried herbs, black pepper and a chalky, earthy minerality. The palate is medium bodied, fresh and finely structured, with savoury tannins and a liquorice-edged finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees, decanting younger bottles. It pairs naturally with lamb and mushroom dishes.