Valduero 6 Años Reserva Premium 2016

Valduero 6 Años Reserva Premium is a Tinto Fino red from the Valduero estate in Gumiel del Mercado, one of the pioneering wineries of the D.O. Ribera del Duero, founded by Gregorio García Álvarez in 1984 and now run with his daughters Yolanda and Carolina. The fruit comes from an estate vineyard over forty years old. Ribera del Duero lies on a high plateau with hot summer days and cold nights, and that wide diurnal range lets Tinto Fino, the local Tempranillo, build ripe dark fruit and firm tannin while keeping freshness. The 2016 vintage is given an extended six year ageing, thirty six months in oak barrels followed by thirty six months in bottle. The long barrel ageing allows slow oxygen exchange that polishes the tannins and adds toffee, vanilla and spice, while the further years in bottle develop tertiary notes of tobacco and leather and integrate the whole. Expect a deep red with garnet edges, a complex nose of dark plum, cherry, toffee and tobacco, and a structured, savoury palate balancing power with elegance over a long finish. Decant and serve at 17 to 18 degrees with roast red meat.