Museum Reserva 2021

Museum is made in Cigales, on the high plateau of Castilla y León north of Valladolid, by a winery within the Barón de Ley group. This Reserva is a single-variety Tinta del País, the local name for Tempranillo, from vines over seventy years old planted at around 800 metres on calcareous clay soils strewn with surface boulders. The severe continental climate brings very hot summers and cold winters, with day-to-night swings of up to twenty degrees that slow ripening, fix colour and acidity and concentrate the old-vine fruit. The wine spends twenty-four months in French oak, where long, slow oxygen exchange knits the structure together and adds spice and a sweet, toasty layer without smothering the fruit. The result is a deep, almost opaque red with an intense nose of redcurrant, blueberry and dark plum, lifted by liquorice, ginger and sage over vanilla and cocoa from the barrel. The palate is full and structured, with firm but ripe tannins, good freshness and a long, spiced finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanting an hour ahead, with roast and grilled red meats.