Pago De Vallegarcía Hipperia 2022

Pago de Vallegarcía Hipperia is a Bordeaux-style red from VT Castilla, blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot from a single estate in Castilla La Mancha. The four varieties keep their distinct flavours while combining into a balanced whole. The cellar work is precise: the fruit is cold-soaked for three days at 10 degrees to extract colour and aroma before fermentation, then macerated for 21 days with frequent pump-overs, which draws tannin and pigment from the skins for structure and a deep colour. The wine is aged eighteen months in French oak and rested a further eighteen months in bottle before release, so the firm Cabernet tannins are well resolved by the time it reaches the glass. The estate's continental climate, with hot days and cool nights, helps the late-ripening Cabernet reach ripeness while holding the acidity and savoury herbal edge typical of the grape. Expect a deep red, a nose of blackcurrant, plum and cherry with cedar, pepper, vanilla and tobacco, and a structured, full palate with fine-grained tannins and a long finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted an hour ahead. Good with roast and grilled red meat.