Elefante El Valiente Tempranillo 2023 (Spain)

Description

Cherry, Oak, Spice

A vibrant, fruit-driven red showing the depth of Tempranillo with lifted brightness from Garnacha and a touch of Shiraz spice. Aromas of ripe red cherry, plum and blackberry are layered with hints of wild herbs, pepper and subtle oak toast. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy dark fruit, supple tannins and a savoury edge, finishing fresh and well balanced with a lingering spicy lift.

The vast, high and dry plains of Spain’s vineyards. The ancient soils and high altitude ensures the richly flavoured fruit maintains structure and tannin. Vineyards planted on the slopes of mountain ranges in the north and north east add a degree of elegance to the wines.

2023 was a year of significant drought in Castilla-La Mancha, leading to extremely low yields and making it Spain's smallest harvest in 60 years. Despite the challenging conditions, the wines showcase intense flavours, freshness, and excellent acidity.

Totally de-stemmed with a short cold soak before a long, cool fermentation with daily pump - overs to achieve optimum fruit and colour. The core of the blend was aged in stainless steel before three months maturation in seasoned French and American oak. A component of up to ten percent of declassified Rioja (due to volume constrainer’s not quality) is added to the blend three months before bottling.