Vega Real Roble 2018

Ribera del Duero in northwest Spain is renowned for wines with “the structure, the cleanness, and ‘cut’ of a massive Bordeaux” (Hugh Johnson). The region’s most famous estate is Vega Sicilia, the top wines of which sell for around £250 a bottle. Vega Real is far more than just an echo of that quality and comes at a snip of that price. It was made by the Barbadillo family, Spanish wine and sherry producers for 200 years. Pure Tinto del Pais – a grape known elsewhere in Spain as Tempranillo – this fresh young red was aged for three months in both French and American oak barrels to lend a layer of light spice to the blackberry and cherry fruit notes. Decant 30 minutes before serving with spring lamb, duck or veggie kebabs with spiced couscous.