Alba Rojo Pago Miraflores 2015 10.8%, Viticultores Alba

Appearance

Bright light cherry red with a slight trace of orange at the rim.

Nose

There is a lot of lively ripe fruit as one might expect from the production method and a passing resemblance to red Burgundy, but the fruit is slightly blacker with cherry and plum notes. It is very fresh and clean and really encourages you to drink it.

Palate

Again lovely and fresh with those bright fruits to the fore. There is an attractive slightly chalky texture and perfect acidity giving it a gently tangy character with plenty of minerality and of course virtually no tannin. It is dangerously moreish.

Comments

This delicious red wine comes from sustainably grown Tempranillo grapes grown on 15 year old vines in the albarizas of the Pago Miraflores near Sanlúcar. The hand harvested grapes were not de-stemmed and the whole clusters were trodden by foot. They were fermented semi carbonically in stainless steel using natural yeasts and given 14 days of maceration, roughly half anaerobically and half aerobically without the addition of sulphur dioxide. After 8 months in the tank the wine was filled into only 400 bottles in May 2016 without any fining or filtration. No wood ageing - nor was it necessary. The idea was to produce a young fresh fruity wine of quality, and that's exactly what they have done. This is the perfect summer red, perfect slightly chilled, and surprisingly versatile with food. I just wish they would put some sort of indication of vintage on it.

Price
29.95 euros, De Albariza