2017 Valenciso Rioja Blanco, Rioja

his fleshy, classy white is crafted from 100-plus-year-old vines of Viura (70%) and Garnacha Blanca (30%). It is sourced from four highland vineyards around Haro and Villalba. After a wild ferment, the wine is aged on lees in Russian, steam-bent, untoasted oak barrels—a fine-grained Caucasian wood that allows for better balance between fruit and oak—for nine months. The result is a super pretty, aromatic wine with crushed citrus and savoury notes and a juicy, silky yet tangy, vibrant palate (racy yet with good texture thanks to the low yields from the ancient vines). The finish is salty, savoury and refreshing. From 2017 the wine is presented in a Burgundy-shaped bottle, another indication of where this wine is heading. Bring it on.

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“Yields were down 40% because of the frost and smaller bunch sizes in 2017, so there will be less of this enjoyable blend of Viura and Garnacha Blanca to go round, alas. Toasty, complex and refreshing with some leesy weight and notes of green apple, aniseed and beeswax.”

 93 points, Tim Atkin, 2019 Rioja Special Report

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