Piqueras ‘Black Label’ Syrah Monastrell 2019 (Spain)

Description

• Toasted oak
• Ripe dark berries
• Spice notes
• Silken texture

"A rich, powerful, blockbuster Spanish BBQ red that defies the price" Steve Bennett, Master of Wine

"An equal blend of syrah and monastrell from the region of Almansa in south-east Spain. A smoky and slightly peaty aroma leads to a ripe, concentrated and quite lush plate with flavours suggesting dark berries, liquorice and spice. It offers a lot of bang for the buck" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Oct 2021

"Combining sweet berry flavours with attractively spicy nuances, the wine shows ripe cherry, olive, cured meat and toasted nut aromas on the nose. The palate delivers succulent fruit intensity combined with silken texture and fine dusty tannins, making it immediately appealing and ideally suited to rich savoury dishes. At its best: now to 2024" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Oct 2021

Rich and full-bodied red wine deep in colour with an extensive range of ripe dark fruit and wild fresh herbs. Smooth juicy tannins and good levels of natural acidity combine to offer a wine full of flavour.

Bodegas Piqueras was founded in 1915 by Mario Bonete, one of the driving forces behind the creation of Almansa DO. in south-east Spain (100 kilometres inland from Valencia.) Today, Mario's sons look after the estate, with the help of talented winemaker Juan Cantos. The estate is situated at 750-850 metres altitude with an extreme continental climate, low rainfall and limestone-rich soils which are managed using organic farming methods… perfect conditions for  low yielding, slow ripening vines which produce rich, ripe, bold red wines of excellent concentration and  quality. The wine originates 50% from 35-year-old dry-farmed Monastrell (known as Mourvèdre in France) bush vines, a local specialty producing inky, dark, powerfully structured wines and 50% 30-year-old trellised Syrah vines, a variety perfectly adapted to the Almansa climate adding dark berry aromas, a dash of pepper and fine tannins. Ages 6 months in both American & French Allier fine grain medium-toasted oak barrels.

Food Pairing: Enjoy this incredible value-for-money Mediterranean-style wine on its own or with roasted or grilled red meat or game bird dishes.