Marques de Riscal Finca Torrea 2020

Drink it now or cellar for up to 15 years. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service. The renowned Marqués de Riscal winery was founded by Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga in 1858 in Rioja Alavesa and remains a family-run winery. The modern cellar building is the work of architect Frank Gehry. The Tempranillo grapes are sourced from old vineyards planted on the clay-limestone soil typical of Rioja Alavesa, on the Finca de Torrea estate. After manual harvesting, temperature-controlled fermentation in Allier oak vats, and a brief maceration, the wine ages in oak for 20 months and briefly in bottle. The result is a modern, approachable, and youthful wine. Even the label reflects a more contemporary style, featuring a stylized map of the Finca de Torrea vineyards. In the glass, the wine reveals a bright and lively cherry-red color. Its aromatic profile is fresh and fragrant with notes of small red berries, followed by light balsamic and woody hints. On the palate, it is intensely fruity, juicy, and round, with an exuberant character and fine, well-integrated tannins. It has a pleasant, refreshing, and well-balanced acidity and a long, gently spicy finish. It is a food-friendly and versatile wine: try it with cod in tomato sauce, tuna, or chicken cacciatore.