Pesquera Janus 2018

Pesquera, the estate Alejandro Fernández built in Ribera del Duero, releases Janus only in vintages it judges exceptional. The wine is Tempranillo, known locally as Tinto Fino, grown on the high Castilian plateau where the continental climate brings hot days and cold nights. That wide diurnal range slows ripening and fixes both colour and acidity in the skins, which is why these reds carry such depth alongside firm structure. The 2018 ages twenty-eight months in American oak. American barrels are more open grained and give pronounced coconut, vanilla and sweet spice, while the long élevage allows slow oxygen ingress that softens the tannins and builds complexity. Extended oak contact also fixes colour through tannin polymerisation. Expect a deep, dense red with ripe blackberry and plum, hazelnut and a whisper of vanilla over a powerful, structured palate. The tannins are ripe but substantial, the finish long and savoury. This is a wine with the concentration to age further in bottle. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It is built for roast lamb, aged beef and hard Castilian cheese.