Marqués de Griñon Caliza 2020

Marqués de Griñón Caliza is a red from V.P. Dominio de Valdepusa, in Malpica de Tajo near Toledo, the first single estate in Spain to be granted its own Designation of Origin. The wine is made from Syrah, Petit Verdot and Graciano grown on vines fifteen to twenty years old. The site is named for its soil: clay over a pure limestone subsoil, caliza in Spanish, which gives good drainage and a mineral backbone. The hot, dry central Spanish climate ripens these warm-climate varieties fully, building dark fruit, pepper and ripe tannin, while the limestone helps hold freshness. After a manual harvest the wine is aged for ten months in French oak barrels, a measured ageing that frames the rich fruit with spice and a smoky, cedary tone without dominating it. It is deep, dark ruby. The nose shows dark plum, blackberry and black cherry with the black pepper and smoked-meat character of Syrah, plus cocoa, liquorice and a graphite, mineral edge. The palate is full-bodied and rich, fruit-driven and warm, with firm ripe tannins, fresh acidity and a long, peppery, oak-spiced finish. Serve at 17 degrees and decant. It suits grilled and roast red meat.