Sierra Cantabria Reserva 2017

Sierra Cantabria Reserva is a Tempranillo from D.O.Ca. Rioja, made from low-yielding vines over 30 years old planted on the estate's own land in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, in Rioja Alta. The harvest is done by hand and the bunches are sorted before fermentation. Once destemmed, the grapes ferment for around eight days with selected yeasts, then undergo a long post-fermentation maceration on their skins for 21 days, with two firm pump-overs a day to extract colour, tannin and structure. This extended skin contact draws out the phenolics that allow the wine to age. It then spends 18 months in a mix of French and American oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and the two oak types add complementary spice, the French finer and the American sweeter and more vanillic. Further bottle ageing develops the savoury, mature character of a classic Rioja Reserva. The colour is ruby with a garnet rim, the nose offers ripe cherry and red berries over vanilla, leather and tobacco. The palate is medium to full bodied at 14 percent, with ripe tannins, bright acidity and a long savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees with roast lamb.