Munierro de Antídoto 2022

Munierro comes from Bodegas Antídoto in D.O. Ribera del Duero, a producer working old Tempranillo, known here as Tinta del País, on the high Castilian plateau. The vineyards sit around 800 metres on poor limestone and sandy soils, where the altitude drives a sharp drop in night temperatures during the growing season. That diurnal range slows ripening and preserves acidity and colour, which is why Ribera del Duero Tempranillo carries such depth and firm tannin. Low yields from these stony, well-drained soils concentrate the fruit further. The wine matures twenty-two months in oak barrels, a long passage in which gradual oxygen ingress through the staves polishes the tannins, builds savoury and spiced complexity and layers in chocolate and cedar tones over the dark fruit. The colour is deep, opaque purple. The nose shows ripe black plum, dark chocolate and liquorice with toasty oak and a peppery, earthy lift. The palate is full bodied and tightly structured, with grippy but ripe tannin and a long, mineral finish. Decant and serve at 17 to 18 degrees. It calls for grilled and roasted red meats.