Martúe "Pago Campo de la Guardia" '19

Martúe is one of the most exciting wineries to have emerged from the up-and-coming wine region of Castilla–La Mancha, in central Spain, producing high-quality wines at accessible prices for everyday drinking. Martúe was the dream of Fausto Gonzalez, who planted vines in 1990 near La Guardia de Toledo, just southeast of the city of Toledo. In 2009 the estate earned the prestigious  and rare designation of DO Pago Campo de La Guardia because of its location in a special enclave with complex soils, at an elevation of 850, at the convergence of two tectonic plates near the Tagus river in central Spain.

Martúe is a blend of estate-grown grapes (19% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec, and 11% Merlot) from Campo Martuela and El Casar. The vines were planted in 1990 and 2000. Farming is sustainable, and the wines are made without any additions. Each of the grape varieties is harvested separately at night, and as quickly as possible. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation occurs with native yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Once the wines have completed malolactic fermentation, the wine is blended and moved into 50% new and 50% used French oak barrels (1–3 years old) for ten months.

Medium-plus in body, showing red and dark fruits, with a plushness and a generosity that keeps you coming back sip after sip. This is a terrific everyday value, and you can pair it with everything, from burgers to BBQ chicken.