Tasting notes:

Arínzano’s estate, with a millennium of viticulture history, is located in the foothills of the Sierra Urbasa mountains, at the centre of a deeply-cut Navarra valley crossed by the Ega river. Cooler than Rioja and with Atlantic winds, Arínzano produces wines evocative of their unique mesoclimate. This excellent Merlot has a deep, ruby-garnet hue and shows morello cherry, prunes, fig and tobacco. A hint of earthiness indicates some development. The dry, mid-weight palate has racy acidity, grainy tannins and warming alcohol, leading to a long finish. Rather linear in style, the wine has nuances of peppermint and celery leaf, giving complexity and lift. A wine that will pair nicely with braised guinea fowl in a red wine barberry sauce with parsley and a pinch of ground cloves. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)