Xérico 2023

Xérico is made by Roberto Oliván at Tentenublo Wines, based in Viñaspre in the village of Lanciego in Rioja Alavesa. Oliván took over his mother's old winery in 2011 and works in a modern Rioja idiom, traditional in method but seeking freshness and using less new wood than the classic reserva style. This bottling is pure Tempranillo from the limestone and clay soils of Rioja Alavesa, where the chalky subsoil and cool nights preserve acidity and give the grape its red fruit and savoury depth. Fermentation runs with native yeast and the wine spends only six months in French oak, enough to refine the tannin and let in a little oxygen without masking the fruit. Malolactic fermentation rounds the palate. The colour is bright cherry red. The nose is fresh and direct, with red cherry, plum and raspberry over dried herbs and a stony, mineral note. The palate is medium bodied with supple tannin, lively acidity and a clean, chalky finish. Serve at 16 degrees. It is versatile at the table and a good partner for roast meats and mushroom dishes.