De Martino, 'Las Olvidadas' Old Vine País & San Francisco, 2019

Attractively fascinating, leafy, peppery aromas greet the nose, before you step down into to the cellar, where a deep trove of earth, tar and yeast extract awaits. The palate impression is almost entirely textural: surpassingly soft and harmonious, it has supremely silky tannins, and acidity which is at once fresh and understated. Complete, satisfying and with surpassing elegance, this is as beautifully-balanced as it is intriguing. ‘Las Olvidadas’, or ‘The Forgotten’ refers to the 2,507 venerable vines, aged between 100 and 300 years, whose meagre yields make this wine. It is a field blend of around 80% País and 20% San Francisco—DNA testing has shown the latter variety to be a crossing of País and Moscatel.