Bodegas Casa Castillo Casa Castillo Pie Franco 2023 750ml

The 2023 Pie Franco is serious, austere and shy, but it has a sense of harmony and refinement that makes it very attractive and a little mysterious. It has a very elegant and balanced palate with very fine tannins; you don't notice that the grapes had a slightly faster ripening, and the tannins show a level of refinement similar to a slower-ripening year. It might be the cushion effect of the old ungrafted vines that make it quite homogeneous and consistent from vintage to vintage. There's no trace of ripeness or excess here despite the south-facing exposition and the sandy soils, and the wine is very elegant and fine. The grapes are picked halfway through the harvest, so they already have the experience of the first half of the grapes from the property.

The 2023 Pie Franco is 100% Monastrell fromjumilla, planted south-facing on calcareous sands. It opens with aromas of cherry, elderberry, white pepper, spices, rosehip and cigar leaf. The palate is intense, silky and smooth, with moderate freshness and juiciness supporting a defined flavor. A red with both nuance and energy, it carries a chalky compactness that frames its rustic purity. The foudre is imperceptible; the wine resolves with character true to its landscape.