Marqués de Murrieta Dalmau Reserva 2019

Dalmau Reserva is the modern flagship red of Marqués de Murrieta, from D.O.Ca. Rioja. It blends Tempranillo at seventy nine percent with Cabernet Sauvignon and a little Graciano, all from a hundred-year-old vineyard in the Canajas plot of the historic Finca Ygay. The site sits at 465 metres on clay and limestone soil scattered with pebbles, which reflect heat and aid drainage while the altitude keeps the nights cool, slowing ripening and holding acidity in a powerful wine. The old vines and the Cabernet component lend the wine its concentration and firm structure. After fermentation it is aged twenty months in oak with a further period in concrete tanks, where the inert vessel lets the wine settle and integrate without adding more oak character. The colour is deep cherry red. The nose shows ripe black cherry and plum, oak spice, tobacco and a peppery, leathery note. The palate is full and structured, with firm, fine tannin, dark fruit and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanted an hour ahead. Best with rich roasts and game.