Tasting note
- Colour & appearance
- Purple-red, clear and youthfully vibrant in the glass.
- Nose
- Inviting and precisely defined: cherries and redcurrants, underpinned by an almost cool, stony minerality that immediately whets the appetite for the first sip.
- Palate
- Full-bodied yet without heaviness. A vibrant acidity carries the fresh fruit, the texture is silky, the pull juicy. Rich, yes – but never broad or opulent. The tension persists right through to the finish.
- Finish
- Juicy and fresh, with a fine mineral persistence – a red wine that makes you eager for the next glass.
- Terroir & origin
- Dicastillo in Tierra Estella, the coolest sub-zone of DO Navarra. On the slopes of the Montejurra massif, some 40 hectares are spread across 70 plots at altitudes between 400 and 700 metres, on limestone and sandstone. The vines for this wine are on average 40 years old; cool nights at altitude ensure a long ripening period and the remarkable freshness found in the glass. The Valerio family has been rooted here since the 14th century, and Emilio Valerio has run the estate since 1980.
- Grape varieties & vinification
- A cuvée typical of this region bordering France, blending indigenous and international varieties: Garnacha as the principal grape, complemented by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Maturation took place over one year in concrete tanks and wooden casks – handled with a subtle touch so that the wood supports rather than masks the minerality. French oenologist Olivier Rivière brings his Bordeaux experience to bear, without overshadowing the wine’s Spanish character.
- Food recommendations
- A versatile everyday wine: excellent with herb-crusted rack of lamb, braised mushrooms with polenta, pasta with beef ragù, or aged Manchego.
- Special characteristics
- What sets this wine apart is its almost Burgundian elegance: it does not taste of Spain’s warm south, but rather of altitude, limestone and cool nights – a true expression of place rather than fruit concentration.
