Bendito Destino Clarete 2022 - 75cl
Clarete is an old Spanish idea that's quietly coming back — not quite a red, not quite a rosé, but a wine made by co-fermenting red and white grapes together, the way growers did before the categories hardened. Bendito Destino is the project of Terry Kandylis, a star sommelier turned winemaker, working rejuvenated centenarian bush vines around Canalejas de Peñafiel in Ribera del Duero.
This 2022 is a field blend of local varieties — Tempranillo, Garnacha and the white Albillo among them — fermented together in old barrels. The result sits somewhere thrilling between styles: pale ruby in the glass, with a nose of crunchy redcurrant, wild strawberry and a little orange peel, plus a chalky, saline minerality. On the palate it's light, fresh and gently structured, with the faintest brush of tannin from the red grapes and a bright, mouth-watering finish. Serious, but delicious.
Serve it with a chill and it blurs the line between what you'd drink with fish and what you'd drink with meat. This is a wine for the curious — the sort of bottle that starts a conversation.
How to Serve
Serve lightly chilled at 12–13°C in a red-wine glass. No decant. Treat it like a light red as much as a rosé.
Where to Drink It
Barrafina for Spanish plates and energy. Planque for a natural-leaning list. Brat, where it bridges fish and grilled meat.
Food Pairings
Grilled quail or a plate of jamón. It also loves a bowl of paprika-spiked octopus.
