“Four aspiring wine Knights and some bloody old vineyards,” is how Zar Brooks describes Cien y Pico. This exciting producer is based in Manchuela, a small region in south-eastern Spain. The name Cien y Pico means “Hundred and something” and refers to the age of the ancient Garnacha Tintorera and Bobal vines from which these wines are made.

The wine is made using the ‘doble pasta’ method – crushed grapes are fermented over additional grape skins and pulp, to obtain a high extract, colour and tannin. 20% of this wine is aged in stainless steel tanks, with 80% aged in second and third used oak.

Deep purple in colour with violet tints, this wine has intense aromas of blueberries, damsons and cherries. The palate is intense and flavourful, supported by tannins that are firm but go almost unnoticed given their ripeness and integration. The powerful fruit character reverberates on the finish.