Navarro Lopez 'Tierracalar' Tempranillo 2024

Soft, fruit-driven Tempranillo from La Mancha. The Tuesday-night Spanish red.

Navarro López runs an old Valdepeñas winery that dates back to 1904. The Navarro Donado family has owned it since Doroteo Navarro Donado took over in 1988. He later moved the operation to a site between the Sierra del Peral and Sierra Prieta hills, five kilometres from town and ringed by the family's own vines. That direct link between grower and bottle is rare at this price. Most Tempranillo this cheap is blended from fruit bought in from elsewhere.

Serve it at cellar temperature rather than warm, and skip the decanter. It pours soft and fruity, all cherry and plum with a touch of vanilla, built for easy weeknight drinking rather than a special occasion. Pour it next to tapas, a simple pasta, or a Tuesday roast chicken.