2007 Grupo Pesquera Dehesa La Granja Selection, Castilla y León

Deliciously mature, ready-to-drink wines of this quality and price are incredibly rare these days. Then again, Alejandro Fernández, the Magnus of Pesquera, has always been a mañana kind of guy. For those more familiar with Fernández's wines through his Ribera del Duero estates, Pesquera and Condado de Haza, Dehesa la Granja is his Zamora outpost. Purchased in 1998, the ranch (which also produces olive oil, cheese and first rate chickpeas!) is sited on the Guareña River, at altitude, lying just outside the boundary of the Toro region. Each year there is the Estate wine that is released with age. 

Suffice to say this is entering peak drinking. It's a succulently ripe, fleshy, meaty wine with black cherry, vanilla, cola, earth and leather aromas and flavours, a fine, powdery structure and a fresh, vibrant finish. Really old school (in a good way lovely drinking and a bargain to boot. If you want squeaky clean, simple and modern, don't look here. This is for those who crave character and complexity and bottle development. By the way, like the wines, the D.O. is a bit of a mouthful--Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León.

‘Brilliant ruby. Smoke- and spice-accented aromas of redcurrant and cherry, with a hint of vanilla in the background. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering lively red fruit flavours that become sweeter with air. Closes on a smoky note, with slow-building tannins and lingering coconut and spicecake nuances.’ 

Low and slow winemaking here... Serious feeling tempranillo. Has that curious and kind of appealing scent of an old campfire then fig and date dried fruits, a splash of ripe currants. Flavours are tilting right into the savoury, secondary developed zone but there's fresh acidity underlying and the wine has a brightness amongst the dusty spice and chewy oak character. Indeed, the soft finish and licks of dark berry fruit are very appealing, and a Chinese five spice note hits a high. It's savoury as all get out, rippling with fine ribbons of tannin. Quite lovely in its zone.’