Triga 2021

Triga is produced by Bodegas Volver in D.O. Alicante, part of the Jorge Ordóñez group, from a blend led by Monastrell at 85 percent with Cabernet Sauvignon making up the rest. The grapes come from old vineyards around Salinas and Pinoso, planted on fossilised limestone soils at 700 to 750 metres. Monastrell is a late-ripening, heat-loving variety that builds high sugar, and therefore high alcohol, in the warm Alicante climate, here pushing to 15.5 percent. The altitude and the limestone are what keep the wine balanced: cool nights at elevation preserve acidity and freshness, while the well-drained chalky soils rein in vigour and add a mineral lift to the ripe fruit. After traditional fermentation the wine goes through malolactic conversion, which turns sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid for a rounder mouthfeel, then ages for twenty months in French oak that adds spice, structure and slow oxidative polish. It shows an intense bouquet of black and blue fruit, liquorice and oriental spice with a floral lift, and a full, ripe, structured palate. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanting an hour ahead. It suits braised beef, grilled lamb and strong cheese.