Mira Salinas

Its red label makes an impact: beautifully plain and simple; it has all the appearance of a lively, forthright wine, and so it is. Vivid in the glass, a wine with plenty of colour, balsamic and mineral notes on the nose, fruit-forward and earthy on the palate, showing great balance. Where from? Alicante. Who makes it? The Castaño Family. Which varieties? Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante Bouschet and Petit Verdot, with selected grapes from old vineyards.

Mira is a particularly well-balanced wine, rounded and very fruit-driven. It has a character we would not immediately associate with Monastrell, or at least not at first, embellished as it is by blending; a clever ensemble. The fruit is very fresh: blackberries and ripe plums, seemingly still covered in early morning frost, crisp fruit coated in mineral freshness, with notes of earth and stone, sweet touches and balsamic (liquorice, eucalyptus) hints. A profound red with character.

It is a wine full of colour, with remarkable density and slowly falling tears (15% alcohol! Yet very well integrated!). On the nose… you have to wait a bit and we recommend decanting for at least half an hour. Gradually but decisively, all its nuances start to appear, interwoven in the blend.

Nicely fresh too on the palate, it is fruity, intense, juicy, with good acidity and structure. Unlike perceptions on the nose, the palate reveals a very subtle sweetness and the aftertaste is when the Monastrell reasserts itself; considerately. A harmonious wine, a lovely creation devised by good teamwork.