Cesar Marquez El Rapolao 2022

Drink it now or cellar for up to 10 years. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service. Cesar Marquez inaugurated his personal project in 2015, after studying enology and making some experiences in the family business and with his famous uncle Raul Perez. His company today produces a white, a regional wine, a village one, and 3 single vineyard wines (El Rapolao, Pico Ferrerira, and Sufreiral). The El Rapolao wine is a mostly Mencia blend with small additions of Alicante Bouschet coming from two plots located at 500 meters above sea level and planted in 1920 and 1980 in the Rapolao region. Here the vineyards benefit from cooler temperatures and soils rich in iron and organic matter. The harvest is manual and fermentation takes place in large open wooden vats. The finished wine is then left to mature in old oak barrels for 12 months. The result is an elegant and fresh wine with a bright cherry red color. Its aromatic profile is broad and complex with notes of red flowers and berries, and spicy, mineral, and toasted bread hints. On the palate, the wine is balanced and well-structured with a strong acid streak and firm, well-integrated tannins. It is round and fresh with a long, warm, and fragrant finish. It is perfect with grilled red meat and medium-aged cheeses.

Price: £29.74 from 8wines UK