Protos Serie Privada 2021

Protos is one of the founding wineries of Ribera del Duero, set in the high plateau of Castilla y Leon where Tempranillo, here called Tinta del Pais, is the sole red grape. Serie Privada is a limited bottling from selected fruit. The region's defining feature is altitude and a severe continental climate, with hot days and cold nights that preserve acidity and colour while letting the thick skinned grapes ripen fully, building deep concentration and firm tannin. The chalky, sandy and clay soils drain well and stress the vines, lowering yields and intensifying the fruit. After fermentation the wine ages eighteen months in barrel, where extended oak contact rounds the tannins, fixes colour through slow oxygenation and adds vanilla, toast and sweet spice. The result is a deep, dense red, with ripe plum and blackberry on the nose over cocoa, vanilla, tobacco and a toasted oak frame. The palate is full and structured, with ripe but firm tannins and a long, spiced finish. Serve at sixteen to eighteen degrees and decant; it is made for roast and grilled red meats.