Dominio Aguila, Ribera del Duero, Canta Perdiz 2018 - 75cl

Canta la Perdiz is one of the great modern-traditional wines of Ribera del Duero — a single-vineyard field blend from Jorge Monzón and Isabel Rodero at Dominio del Águila, made from ancient, co-planted vines around La Aguilera. This is not the polished, oaky Ribera of reputation; it is something older and wilder, built from a patchwork of varieties picked and fermented together as the old growers always did.

The blend is led by Tinto Fino (the local Tempranillo) with Cariñena, Bobal and a little of the white grape Albillo grown among the reds — a true field blend from vines of considerable age. Winemaking is deliberately old-fashioned: whole-cluster fermentation with wild yeasts in concrete, a slow malolactic in barrel, and a very long élevage of around 37 months in wood before release.

The 2018 is the more rustic, structured sibling to the fleshier 2019 — a touch backward and earthy in its youth, with abundant tannin to unwind. Expect bramble and wild strawberry, blood orange, spice and a savoury smokiness, at around 14.5% but carrying real freshness and balance rather than heat. Give it time and the fruit blooms; the tannins are firm but fine, the finish long and mineral.

A collector's Ribera — low-production, singular, and best rewarded with patience, whether a few hours in a decanter or several years in the cellar.

How to Serve

Serve at 16-18°C in large Bordeaux stems. Young and tannic, it wants a good two hours in a decanter now; over the next decade it will need far less coaxing.

Where to Drink It

Scott's in Mayfair for a serious Spanish red with an occasion attached. Wiltons on Jermyn Street for game season. Noble Rot for the depth of its list.

Food Pairings

Roast lamb shoulder, slow and studded with garlic. In autumn, a plate of roast partridge nods to the wine's name and its wild, gamey edge.