Supernova Crianza 2021

Bodegas Briego, run by three brothers who turned the family farm into a winery in the 1990s, makes Supernova Crianza in D.O. Ribera del Duero, in Castilla y León, from Tempranillo. The estate holds varied soils across Curiel, Peñafiel and Fompedraza, planted to give wines of authentic Ribera character, with the fruit grown at altitude on the high Duero plateau. That elevation brings cold nights and a wide diurnal range that slow ripening, deepen colour and hold acidity in a hot continental climate, while the stony limestone and clay soils keep yields low and the fruit concentrated. The wine is aged for 14 months in French and American oak barrels, a crianza ageing that softens the tannins through slow oxygen exchange and adds vanilla, sweet spice and toast, with American oak lending a rounder note. It is a deep cherry-red with a nose of ripe cherry and plum over vanilla, liquorice and oak. The palate is full bodied and structured, with ripe dark fruit, firm but polished tannins and a long, spiced finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted. It suits roast and grilled red meats and game.