Palacio de Valencia Reserva 2011

For such a deliciously rich, complex Reserva, now with six years’ maturity, this is terrific value. It was crafted in Valencia by Maria Angeles Camara, who also makes our popular Palacio del Conde range. This, her latest creation, is a red berry Tempranillo and dark spicy Monastrell, aged for a year in oak and a lot longer in bottle. The vineyards lie 50 km inland, where soils are dusty brown and arid in summer and, besides olive trees, little grows beyond the gnarled old bush vines. The result is fruit of impressive concentration and a wine of real richness and depth. Decant this red for an hour prior to serving so it opens out. Smooth enough to enjoy by itself, it’s also an ideal match for chicken, roasted vegetables or paella Valenciana.