Bodegas Olivares Dulce Monastrell Ungrafted Old Vines, Jumilla, Spain 2017 500ml

I just love the expressive nose of tomato vine, Mediterranean herbs and black olive of the 2017 Dulce Monastrell, a sweet fortified red I had already tasted and which seems to be evolving at a glacial pace. It has the tannin and structure of the dry red wines from the region, balanced by some 230 grams of acidity and fortified to 16% alcohol. The tannins and alcohol make the wine come through as balanced and not as sweet as you might imagine given the amount of sugar it has. This is bottled unoaked and matured exclusively in bottle. It's the Mediterranean alternative to a young Ruby Port.