Montecastro, Ribera del Duero, RESERVA

• Vintage: 2018
• Origin: Ribera del Duero, Spain
• Taste Guide: Medium-full bodied and oaked. Dark and intense with aromas of ripe red fruits and dried cherries. Flavours of black plums and dark chocolate on the palate, with silky smooth tannins and subtle sweet spices.
  
• Food pairing: Meat stew, lamb shank and roast dinners. Meat cooked on the grill/BBQ would also pair well.

• 75cl - 15% - Traditional Cork opening
• Slight Scuffs on Labels
• Ex Waitrose stock where it retailed for £25 a bottle

Montecastro wines, whose origins date back to 2000, have been produced since 2012 by the technical team at Hacienda Monasterio, one of the most successful groups in the field of modern wines from Ribera del Duero. Hacienda Monasterio became the chief shareholder of the Montecastro winery in 2012 and is in charge of the technical management of its new wines with the expertise of Carlos de la Fuente (assistant manager of Hacienda Monasterio and Peter Sisseck's right-hand man).

Montecastro is a fresher and less dense wine than earlier vintages, made now almost exclusively with Tempranillo grapes and 5% of Cabernet Sauvignon from a variety of plots spread among the 27 hectares of vines the winery owns. Aged for 17 months in new and second-year used French oak barrels, the final result is a very complete and balanced wine with a very intense red fruit, notes of forest undergrowth, and a mineral background. A new style of wine designed by Hacienda Monasterio to make the most of the possibilities of these exceptional vineyards planted at heights of between 860 and 930 metres. An elegant and balanced wine, fresh and delicate with good ageing potential. In a nutshell, a wonderful Ribera del Duero wine.