The wine undergoes a careful selection of grapes from old vines, which contribute to its depth and complexity. Expect ripe black fruit flavours such as blackberry and black cherry, along with hints of plum and currant. These fruity notes are complemented by well-integrated oak, providing layers of vanilla, spice, and subtle toasted nuances.\n \n Producer Information\n Bodegas Protos is a a Spanish wine cooperative, producing wines from the Ribera del Duero and Rueda appellations. It was originally founded in 1927 as the Bodega Cooperativa de Peñafiel. Protos makes numerous red wines from Tempranillo. An entry-level Roble spends six months in barrel, and Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are all aged for the requisite number of months in a mix of American and French oak. Protos' top wine is the Selección Finca el Grajo Viejo, which is made from a single old-vine site in Ribera del Duero and spends 18 months in French oak. A Clarete rosado, or rosé – unusual for Ribera del Duero, is also on the roster of labels, as is the organic Ecológico Tempranillo. Other labels from the Ribera del Duero include Protos '27, a homage to the foundation of the cooperative in 1927, complete with a retro label, and Aire de Protos, another rosado, this time made by combining red and white varieties (the blend makeup is predominantly Tempranillo with 15 percent Garnacha and 15 percent Verdejo and Albillo. Through its long history, the winery has had successive relocations, including a spell aging wines in barrel in cellars in the hill under Peñafiel castle. Now, as well as a modern winery in the shadow of the medieval fortress, Protos also owns a separate winery in the Rueda region to the southwest. The Rueda operation produces a handful of wines, predominantly from the region's signature Verdejo grape. As well as an entry-level Verdejo, the Reserva is barrel-fermented while the organic Ecológico Verdejo is the counterpart to the Tempranillo produced in Peñafiel.
