The 2023 Dalwood Tempranillo Touriga is a red blend from the Hunter Valley, pairing Spain's tempranillo with touriga, a variety more familiar from Portugal's Douro Valley, in a combination built for warmth and spice rather than outright power.

Red plum and dark cherry sit at the centre, with a dried-spice and violet lift that gives the blend some perfume above its fruit, and a faint dark chocolate note adding depth on the back of the nose. The palate is warm and generous, with fruit staying forward through the middle.

Tannins are moderate and well-integrated, acidity is soft, and the finish is smooth rather than gripping, a red built for drinking rather than analysing. Neither variety dominates; the blend reads as one wine rather than two components stitched together.

It's a natural match for Iberian-leaning food: chorizo, paella, or simply grilled meat with a smoky char, or even a simple board of cured ham and olives.

It's drinking well now and doesn't ask for further cellaring; enjoy it over the next two to three years.