Mo Salinas 2022

Mo Salinas is a red from Sierra Salinas, an estate the Castaño family founded in 2006 beside the Sierra de Salinas at Villena, in the inland Alicante hills of the Valencia region, now part of MGWines Group. The 92 hectare property runs vines alongside olive and almond trees, and the winery is built to work by gravity without electric pumps. Monastrell leads the blend, supported by Cabernet Sauvignon and the deeply pigmented Alicante Bouschet, a teinturier grape with red flesh that adds colour and structure. The continental Mediterranean climate brings hot, dry summers and cool nights, a diurnal swing that holds acidity and slows sugar ripening in thick-skinned Monastrell, building tannin and concentration. After fermentation the wine spends four months in French oak, a short pass that softens the tannins and adds a measure of spice and vanilla without masking the fruit. The colour is deep ruby. The nose carries ripe plum, dark cherry and black pepper over liquorice and a hint of dried earth. The palate is full and warm at 14 percent, with firm but ripe tannins and a savoury, herb-edged finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees. It suits grilled and roasted red meat.