Peña Caballera 2022

Peña Caballera is a single-vineyard Garnacha from the Marañones winery in the D.O. Vinos de Madrid. The wine comes from one 1.5 hectare plot of old vines, between fifty and seventy years old, planted on a north-facing slope at 850 metres in the granite hills of the Sierra de Gredos. The shallow sandy loam over granite, no more than half a metre deep, forces the vines to work and gives low yields of concentrated, finely structured fruit. At that altitude the cool nights and the north-facing aspect slow ripening and lock in the acidity and floral, peppery aromatics typical of Gredos Garnacha, holding the wine at a balanced 14 per cent. Ageing runs twelve months in used French oak, which adds texture and softens tannin without imposing its own flavour. The colour is a medium ruby. The nose is fragrant and savoury, with red berries and cherry over violet, thyme and white pepper, lifted by a stony mineral note. The palate is medium bodied, taut and elegant, with bright acidity, fine chalky tannin and a long, mineral finish. Serve at 15 to 17 degrees. It suits roast lamb, game and grilled red meat.