Los Astrales “Astrales” 2021

Astrales is a single variety Tinto Fino red from Bodegas Los Astrales in D.O. Ribera del Duero, made by the Romera de la Cruz family with advice from Eduardo García. Ribera del Duero sits on a high plateau above 800 metres on the northern Spanish meseta, where sandy loam soils and a continental climate bring hot days and sharply cold nights. That wide diurnal range slows ripening and keeps acidity firm while the skins build colour and tannin, which is why the local Tempranillo clone gives such depth here. The wine spends eighteen months in French oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and adds spice and a fine grain to the structure. The colour is an intense cherry red. The nose leads with ripe black fruit, dark chocolate and liquorice over a savoury, mineral base, with vanilla and pepper from the wood. The palate is full and structured, the tannins firm but ripe, the long finish carrying cherry and toasted oak. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant for an hour. It suits roast beef, lamb and aged hard cheese.