Taberner Nº 1 2016

Taberner Nº 1 is made by Huerta de Albalá at Arcos de la Frontera in Cádiz, in a microclimate set between the Bornos reservoir and the Sierra de Grazalema. That position brings a marked day-to-night temperature swing and around 900 millimetres of rain a year, unusually high for southern Spain, which together slow ripening and keep acidity firm in a warm region. The wine is a Syrah-led blend with Merlot and a small proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, hand harvested and sorted, then aged for 24 months in French oak. The long élevage in barrel softens the firm tannins through slow oxygen exchange and layers in vanilla, cedar and toasted spice over the dark, ripe fruit. The colour is deep and dark. The nose shows ripe plum and black cherry over cracked pepper, tobacco, a smoky note and sweet oak spice. The palate is full bodied and structured, the tannins firm and the fruit concentrated, with fresh acidity from the cool nights carrying a long finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant an hour or two ahead, or cellar it. It is a wine for grilled and roasted red meats.