Piqueras VS DO Almansa 2019 (Spain)

Description

Blackberry, Oak, Spice

"An extremely powerful, complex, characterful, flavour-saturated red" Steve Bennett, Master of Wine, Importer

"Nicely plush nose with blackberries, roasted spices, chili chocolate and a hint of black pepper. Rich and juicy on the palate with firm and nicely chewy tannins… well-made" James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com

Deep crimson in colour. Aromas of dried dark fruit and fruit compote with complex hints of coffee, plums, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, coconut, walnuts and almonds. Full-bodied on the palate with strong yet elegant, long-lasting tannins harmoniously integrated with the oak. Silky-smooth but deep finish showing plum from the Garnacha Tintorera alongside Mediterranean flavours of the Monastrell. 

VS “Vendimia Seleccionada” is the jewel in the crown of the Piqueras range — a singular, characterful wine from the estate’s oldest (over 100 years), ungrafted, dry-farmed bush vines organically farmed on poor sandy-limestone soils at 850 metres above sea level. Bodegas Piqueras was founded in 1915 by Mario Bonete, one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Almansa DO in south-east Spain (100 km inland from Valencia). Today Mario’s sons continue the family tradition with the help of talented winemaker Juan Cantos, whose CV includes time at Spain’s greatest winery, Vega Sicilia. The extreme continental climate, low rainfall and limestone-rich soils managed under organic farming methods create perfect conditions for low-yielding, slow-ripening vines that produce rich, ripe, bold red wines of excellent concentration.

Select bunches are hand-harvested from 100-year-old, unirrigated, ungrafted, pre-Phylloxera bush vines into small 12 kg crates. The blend is 50% Monastrell (Mourvèdre) and 50% Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), a teinturier variety prized for its intense colour, cherry, cassis, dark chocolate and black pepper characters. Monastrell undergoes cold pre-fermentation maceration then ferments in stainless steel, while Garnacha Tintorera is cold-macerated and fermented in new 500 L French oak barrels. Both varieties complete malolactic fermentation in new oak with bâtonnage on fine lees, before blending and ageing for 15 months in French Allier and American Missouri oak.

Food Pairing: Excellent with game dishes (especially with rice), grilled red meats and cured meats such as Iberian ham or chorizo.