Tarima Hill 2023

Bodegas Volver makes Tarima Hill in Pinoso, an Alicante town with a long wine history, from old Monastrell vines between 40 and 75 years old in the Sierra de la Sima. The vineyards sit at altitude, which brings cooler nights and a wider day to night temperature range than the valley floor, slowing ripening and keeping freshness and aromatic detail in a grape that easily turns jammy. The old, low-yielding vines and the arid bush-vine planting concentrate the fruit, while the elevation tempers the heat of the region. After fermentation the wine spends 14 months in French oak, where measured oxygen exchange through the barrel rounds the tannins and adds vanilla, clove and a fine toasted edge. The wine is suitable for vegans. The colour is a deep ruby with violet highlights. The nose offers ripe blackberry, dark cherry and plum over dried herbs, liquorice and sweet spice, and the palate is full and warm with firm but ripe tannins and a long, savoury finish carried by the oak. Serve at 17 degrees, decanting half an hour ahead. It suits roast lamb, grilled beef and aged hard cheese.