Raúl Moreno La Retahila 2023

Raúl Moreno works in Trebujena, in the northwest of Cádiz province within the Marco de Jerez, with Perruna, a grape once widely grown across the region before phylloxera and now found only in a few surviving old vineyards. La Retahila is one of the few pasture wines made from this variety. The foundation is the barajuelas albariza, the chalky white soil of the area, which reflects sunlight and retains moisture deep in the subsoil for the vines through the dry Andalusian summer, lending the wine its salinity and freshness. The wine is made with skin contact, drawing tannin and colour from the grape skins, then aged for ten months in barrel and ten months in cement, a long élevage that builds savoury complexity through gentle oxygen exchange and gives the wine its structure. The result is deep amber, with aromas of dried apricot, orange peel and chamomile over almond and beeswax. The palate is dry and saline, with firm grip and a long, nutty finish that recalls the area's flor and oxidative tradition. Serve at 12 to 14 degrees, decanted, in a broad glass. It suits roast pork, chicken and oily fish.