René Barbier Abocado Semiseco 2022

The Barbier family settled in Catalonia in 1880, having left France during the phylloxera crisis, and went on to become early champions of bottled and exported Penedès wine. This Abocado Semiseco is their off-dry red, blending Tempranillo, Garnacha and Monastrell grown in the D.O. Penedès. The region sits inland from the Catalan coast, with warm days tempered by sea breezes and a mix of limestone and clay soils that give ripe fruit while holding acidity. The style is deliberately young and approachable, with fermentation stopped to leave a small amount of residual sugar, which is what abocado semiseco means. That gentle sweetness rounds off the tannins and makes the wine soft and easy drinking. Expect a bright cherry-red colour and a nose of ripe red cherry, plum and redcurrant, with a light dusting of dried Mediterranean herbs. The palate is fruity and smooth, the faint sweetness balanced by fresh acidity through a clean, uncomplicated finish. Serve lightly chilled at around 14 degrees. Its softness makes it a friendly partner for mildly spiced dishes as well as everyday poultry and pork.