Condado de Oriza Reserva 2018/19 Ribera del Duero

In the inland Spanish region of Ribera del Duero, the sleek Pagos del Rey winery rises majestically from the sun-baked landscape – concrete walls, cantilevered roof, panoramic views over rows of vineyards. The design is a testament to the team’s forward-thinking mindset, which also extends to the winemaking. As well as employing the latest vinous technology, they’ve been known to play opera music in cellars to enhance their ageing wines. The Solis family owns 70 hectares of vines and works with another 450 family-owned vineyards across 1,600 hectares. For this 100% Tempranillo, grapes have been carefully macerated for five days then aged for 24 months in French and American oak. Add in another year of resting in bottle and it’s earned the special ‘Reserva’ title. Dark ruby hued and with complex aromas of cherry, dried plum, balsamic, toast and spice, it has a long finish. Powerful but well-integrated tannins match well with grilled lamb chops, beef or game.