Pepe Mendoza Casa Agrícola Tinto 2024

Pepe Mendoza Casa Agrícola Tinto is made in D.O. Alicante by Pepe Mendoza and his wife, drawing on local Monastrell, Alicante Bouschet and Giró. Mendoza spent twenty-five years as winemaker at one of the appellation's leading estates before founding this project around native east-coast varieties and sustainable farming. The vineyards are worked biodynamically and organically on the limestone and stony soils of the Alicante hills, under a hot Mediterranean climate tempered by altitude and sea breezes that hold freshness in the fruit. Monastrell gives structure and dark fruit, the teinturier Alicante Bouschet deepens colour, and Giró adds lift. The wine spends a short two months in 500-litre French oak, a brief, low-impact élevage in the large format that settles the tannins and adds breadth without marking the wine with wood, keeping the focus on terroir. The colour is deep and bright. The nose is expressive and herbal, evoking the wild scrub of the hills, with red and dark fruit, garrigue herbs and a stony edge. The palate is vibrant and structured, savoury and fresh, with firm but ripe tannins. Serve at 16 degrees with grilled lamb, beef and roasted vegetables.