Pepe Yllera Roble 2021

Pepe Yllera Roble is a splendid red wine from the Ribera del Duero DO appellation. It is made with Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes hand picked from 30-40 year old vines. The fruit is actually carefully selected twice, once on the vine and then again in the winery, before being destemmed. The must undergoes an alcoholic fermentation at 28º in stainless steel deposits and is pumped over daily to extract colour. A malolactic fermentation gives the wine roundness and pleasantness. It then ages for six months in American and French oak barrels before being bottled. It displays a cherry colour with hints of cardinal red and a powerful nose with aromas of red and black fruit alongside spices (vanilla, liquorice) and soothing herbal notes (eucalyptus) from its time in wood. Aromas typical of aged Cabernet Sauvignon also appear such as hints of smoke and cedar. It is wide, pleasant, silky, velvety and moreish in the mouth. A pleasant acidity makes it a fresh wine, with a lingering finish and an aftertaste combining fruits of the forest such as blackcurrants with comforting hints of vanilla. Pepe Yllera is an ideal wine to pair with any kind of meat, especially typical cured Spanish sausages (embutidos), roast lamb, roast suckling pig or game dishes, as well as semi-hard cheeses.