Marco Real Reserva de la Familia 2018

Marco Real makes this Reserva at its cellar in Olite in Navarra, from a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Graciano. The fruit comes from vines over forty years old planted near the small towns of Sansol and Torres del Río, where a continental climate with Atlantic influence and cool nights preserves acidity and gives the wine freshness alongside ripeness. Old vines yield small crops of concentrated fruit, and the grapes are hand-harvested and double-sorted before a careful vinification. The wine is aged fourteen months in French oak, which adds cedar and fine spice and knits the tannins together through slow oxygen exchange, building the structure a Reserva needs to age. The Cabernet and Graciano lend backbone and dark-fruit depth to the Tempranillo core. Expect a deep colour and a nose of ripe dark fruit with cedar, sweet spice and a subtle herbal edge. The palate is full and structured, with firm, fine-grained tannin, fresh acidity and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted for an hour. Good with roast red meat, game and mature cheese.