Marqués de Cáceres Reserva 2020

Marqués de Cáceres is a family winery based in Cenicero, in the heart of Rioja Alta. This Reserva is built on Tempranillo with a supporting role for Garnacha and Graciano, drawn from selected plots of old vines between 25 and 35 years old across Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. Those vines crop at low yields of around 35 hectolitres per hectare, concentrating the fruit, and the predominantly clay-limestone soils under an Atlantic-influenced climate give wines with firm acidity and ageing potential. The Tempranillo provides the structure and red fruit, Graciano adds acidity and a peppery lift, and Garnacha rounds the body. The wine is aged twenty months in French oak, where measured oxygen exchange softens the tannins and contributes vanilla, clove and a cedary spice, then refined further in bottle before release. The result shows the serene character of a classic Rioja: a deep, mature red with red berry and plum fruit giving way to vanilla, leather and tobacco. The palate is medium to full bodied, savoury and balanced, with fine-grained tannins and a long finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees with roast lamb. Suitable for vegans.