Casa Castillo Pie Franco 2021

The Pie Franco is an intrinsically elegant Monastrell, the Casa Castillo's most elegant, from a winery capable of transforming the rusticity that often characterises this variety into delicacy and refinement. An exceptional wine in certain vintages, and even though it displays its finesse soon after release, it's a real shame to sacrifice it in its youth. Leave it to evolve for a few years and it'll amaze you. Reddish against the light, whilst poured into the glass, and a Picota cherry colour once served. A chalk-powdery nose, perhaps picking up on the calcareous stones that cover the vineyard, which gives way after a good aeration to finely alcohol-doused fruit. Cherries, liquorice, violets, Mediterranean herbs and a subtle touch of black olives betraying the varietal. An intense palate, revealing vibrant acidity and a lactic yet dryish body. Possessing all it needs for a temperate evolution in bottle, it already offers fantastic sensations too, although decanting and serving it in a tall glass is a good idea. Balsamic, almost mentholated, spicy and tannic, with a fine minerality in evidence right the way through, as if the ground wanted to make its mark on the grapes, and the old, deep-seated roots of its vines were intent on making their presence felt. There's the oak enhancing without hampering and the fruit unashamedly making a show, as though looking to draw in the taster. It covers the glass with dense tears and the palate with elegant austerity, hinting at stone and oak. A wine which looks to the future, or perhaps to the past?