Vilano Black 2024

Vilano Black is a Ribera del Duero red from Viña Vilano, made entirely from Tempranillo, the grape known locally as Tinta del País. The vineyards sit on the high plateau of Castilla y León, where the altitude drives a wide swing between hot days and cold nights. That diurnal range slows ripening and locks in colour, fresh acidity and firm tannin, giving Ribera Tempranillo its dark, structured character. The soils of limestone, clay and sand over the plateau drain well and keep the vines balanced through the dry, continental summers. The wine spends nine months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange rounds the tannins and adds cocoa, vanilla and spice tones that frame the fruit. It pours an opaque purple-red, dense and bright. The nose is generous, with ripe blackberry and dark plum, liquorice, black pepper and a savoury layer of oak spice. The palate is full bodied and structured, with ripe, grippy tannins and fresh acidity that keeps the dark fruit lively into a long, spiced finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decant an hour ahead while young, and pour with grilled or roasted red meat.