Marques de Grinon Syrah 2014

Drink now through to 2028. No need to decant before serving.

The visionary Carlos Falcó who heads up the Marques de Grinon estate is a legendary figure in the Spanish winemaking world thanks to his forward-thinking innovations and decades of experience of making wine in the Castilla-La Mancha region. He was amongst the first to experiment with drip irrigation, harvesting at night and planting varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in Spanish soil.

This gorgeous single varietal wine is made with grapes from some of the first Syrah vines to be planted in Spain which date back to 1991. The vines are situated on Carlos’ famous Dominio de Valdepusa vineyard which was recognised as one of Spain’s finest vineyards in 2003 when it became the first site to be awarded the prestigious D.O. de Pago status. The combination of pure limestone soils and the extreme continental climate with high daytime summer temperatures, 3000 hours of sunshine per year and cooler nights makes the vineyard an exceptional place to make red wines.

This unique terroir and the maturity of the vines helps to produce a very concentrated, rich Syrah which exudes flavours and aromas of blackberries, cassis, crushed granite and hints of violets and white pepper. There are also subtle hints of toast and sweet spices from the 15 months of ageing in French oak barrels. The first sip reveals a well-developed structure with smooth tannins and a subtle savoury character that would make this bottle an excellent partner for beef carpaccio, honey-roasted ham or herby lamb dishes.