Tridente Prieto Picudo 2020

Tridente Prieto Picudo is a single variety red from Bodegas Tridente, made in Villanueva de Campeán near Zamora under the Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León classification. Prieto Picudo is a thick skinned native grape of the León plateau, capable of deep colour and ripe, generous fruit. The vineyards sit on the high, continental plateau where hot summers push ripeness and cold nights preserve acidity. The harvest is done by hand with a second selection in the cellar, after which the fruit is destemmed and gently run into stainless steel, where maceration takes place cold at around ten degrees to extract colour and aromatics before fermentation gathers pace. The wine is then aged for fifteen months in French oak, the slow exchange of oxygen rounding the tannins and folding in spice. The result is ripe and powerful, reaching a full 15.5 percent. Expect a dense, dark red, a nose of black plum, cherry and cocoa with liquorice, pepper and a whisper of smoke, and a broad, warming palate framed by ripe tannin. Decant and serve at 17 to 18 degrees with hearty meat dishes.