Valduero Rosado Reserva 2016

Valduero make this Reserva rosado in D.O. Ribera del Duero, the Castilla y León region best known for powerful Tempranillo reds. Here the grape is blended with the white Albillo and turned into one of Spain's most unusual rosés, defined by 48 months in barrel. The vineyards sit on the high Duero plateau, where altitude and a severe continental climate of hot days and cold nights give concentrated fruit with firm acidity. The defining feature is the extended barrel ageing: four years of slow oxygen exchange through the oak develops the wine well beyond primary fruit, building a nutty, savoury, gently oxidative character while light lees contact adds texture and roundness. The 2016 has a deep salmon-to-amber colour that reflects its age. The nose shows dried strawberry and plum, orange peel, vanilla, toasted bread and hazelnut. On the palate it is dry and broad, more like a light aged white than a young rosé, with dried red fruit, a savoury core and a long finish at 13.5% alcohol. Serve lightly chilled at 11 to 13 degrees in a white-wine glass. It suits roast poultry, mushroom dishes and aged cheese.