Bodegas El Nido, El Nido 2023

Get to know: El Nido 2023

An intensely concentrated blockbuster Spanish red wine from DO Jumilla.

Tasting Note

Deep, brooding colour fills the glass, a first clue to the concentration behind it. Wild berry and dark cherry fill the nose, laced with cedar and warm spice from two years in new oak. On the palate it's opulent and full-bodied, ripe and richly fruited, with a precision that keeps it from ever feeling heavy. Give it a moment and more layers show themselves: blackberry, liquorice, dried herbs, a touch of cocoa. The finish runs long and structured. Pour it early in the evening and let it open up over a couple of hours.

Top food pairings:

• Beef steak with a good charred crust
• Slow-roasted lamb shoulder
• Mushroom and walnut wellington

Kate Says

"This one's slowly turning into a cult classic at our Didsbury shop. James, our shop manager there, is a big fan. Save it for steak night, or whenever you want something with real weight on the table."

Producer Info

Bodegas El Nido was founded in 2002 by Miguel Gil, the same year he set up Bodegas Juan Gil, working alongside Australian winemaker Chris Ringland, best known for his old-vine Barossa Shiraz at Rockford. Together they established a tiny winery next to Juan Gil, producing just 2,000 cases a year from the best low-yielding plots in Jumilla. El Nido is made from 30-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon and 65-year-old Monastrell, the two varieties that give it its scale and intensity.

How it's made:

• Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Monastrell 30%
• Several harvest passes select only the ripest bunches, hand-picked into small baskets to prevent bruising. Monastrell comes in towards the end of September, the Cabernet in the first half of October
• Bunches get a further sort before fermentation in small open vats, just 3 to 4 tonnes a batch, over seven days
• Basket-pressed, with fermentation finished in oak
• Malolactic fermentation takes place in new French and American oak barrels, followed by 24 months' ageing in new French and American oak

Good to know:

• Region: Jumilla, Spain
• Style: Red, full-bodied
• Closure: Cork
• Vegan: Yes
• ABV: 15.5%
• Vintage: 2023

Why we love it:

This Spanish red wine has quietly earned a following at our Didsbury shop, and it's easy to see why: intense, richly fruited and unmistakably confident, with two years in new oak adding real depth. Pour it for a special dinner, or any time you want a blockbuster red.