Semele Crianza 2023

Semele Crianza 2023 is made by Montebaco in D.O. Ribera del Duero, from the Monte Alto estate, a fifty-hectare vineyard of vines around twenty years old. The wine blends Tinto Fino, the local name for Tempranillo, with Merlot. The climate here is strongly continental, with dry summers, long hard winters, low rainfall and a wide swing between day and night temperatures. That diurnal range is central to Ribera reds: warm days build colour, ripe tannin and dark fruit while cold nights lock in acidity, giving wines that are both powerful and fresh. The wine spends twelve months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannin and adds vanilla, cocoa and spice. The colour is deep cherry red with violet reflections. The nose shows red fruit of raspberry and strawberry over a layer of vanilla and sweet spice. The palate is full bodied and structured, with ripe firm tannin, good acidity and a finish of dark fruit, cocoa and liquorice. Serve at 16 to 17C, decanting an hour ahead. It pairs with roast and grilled beef, lamb, mushroom dishes and aged hard cheese.