Pago de Otazu 2023

Pago de Otazu is a single estate red from V.P. Pago de Otazu, a small Navarra appellation set between the Sierra del Perdón and the Sierra de Etxauri near Pamplona. It is one of the most northerly red wine estates in Spain, and since 2009 its wines have held single-vineyard pago status. The wine blends Tempranillo with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the Bordeaux pair that thrives in this cooler, more Atlantic-influenced corner of Spain. The grapes come from 115 hectares of estate vineyard planted on stony, clay-rich soil. The stones store daytime heat and aid drainage, while the clay holds moisture, and the northerly position with cool nights gives a long ripening season that builds structure and holds acidity. The harvest is carried out by hand at night to keep the fruit cool. After fermentation the wine ages eighteen months in French oak from the Allier forest, which adds fine-grained tannin and spice through slow oxygen exchange. The colour is a vibrant cherry red. The nose shows blackcurrant, plum and cherry with black pepper, cedar and dark chocolate. The palate is full bodied and structured, with firm tannin and a long, spiced finish. Serve at 17 degrees and decant ahead. It suits grilled beef and roast lamb.