Luis Cañas Finca El Palacio 2020

Finca El Palacio is the single-estate red from Luis Cañas, a family winery in Villabuena de Álava in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. It is built mainly on Tempranillo, with Graciano for colour, acidity and structure and a small share of white Viura, drawn from the estate that surrounds the winery's Mirador. Rioja Alavesa sits on poor, chalky-clay limestone soils at altitude beneath the Sierra de Cantabria, which shelters the vineyards and gives a cool-influenced climate; the high diurnal range and old vines yield small, concentrated berries with firm structure. After fermentation the wine spends fifteen months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange polishes the tannins and builds the vanilla, spice and savoury character that marks barrel-aged Rioja, while preserving the fruit. It pours a deep cherry red. The nose is ripe and layered, with cherry and plum, black pepper and a warm sweet spice, over vanilla, tobacco and leather. The palate is full and structured at 14.5 per cent, with firm, fine-grained tannins and a long, spiced finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted an hour ahead, with roast lamb or grilled red meat.