Sot Lefriec 2020

Sot Lefriec is the flagship red of Alemany i Corrió, the project of Irene Alemany and Laurent Corrió, who met studying oenology in Burgundy and set up the first garage winery in Penedès in 1999. It blends Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with old-vine Cariñena from vineyards in Lavern, where the vines are between 25 and 60 years old and planted on a gentle slope. Older vines crop little but give small, concentrated berries, and the Mediterranean climate of inland Penedès, tempered by the slope and sea breezes, ripens the grapes fully while keeping acidity. Cariñena brings deep colour, firm tannin and a savoury, peppery edge that lifts the plush Merlot and structured Cabernet. The wine ages 22 months in French oak barrels, a long élevage that rounds the tannins and adds cedar and spice through slow oxygen exchange. It pours a dense, dark red. The nose is ripe black and red fruit, plum and berry, with black pepper, liquorice and oak. The palate is full and concentrated, with firm but ripe tannin and a long savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant an hour ahead. Good with roasted and grilled red meats.