Viñas Serranas Ciclón 2023

Viñas Serranas is a small project in the Sierra de Salamanca in Castilla y León, set up to show the potential of the Sierra de Francia, a mountain range where the team farms old plots planted in the early twentieth century. Ciclón is a barrel-aged red built around Rufete with Calabrés and the white Rufete Blanco. Rufete is a thin-skinned, early-ripening native grape that gives pale, fragrant, low-tannin reds with bright acidity, and it suits these high mountain vineyards where altitude and granite-influenced soils preserve freshness and aromatic lift. The small inclusion of white Rufete Blanco co-fermented with the reds adds further perfume and lightens the texture. Barrel ageing is used to settle the wine rather than to mark it with oak, keeping the fruit and florals to the fore. The colour is a bright, light red. The nose shows fresh red berries and cherry with rose, white flowers and a peppery, herbal note. The palate is light and fresh, the red fruit carried by crisp acidity and a soft, fine tannin, finishing clean and fragrant. Serve at 14 to 16 degrees, with a light chill in warm weather. It pairs with roast chicken, grilled pork and mushroom dishes.