Aalto Blanco de Parcela 2024

Aalto Blanco de Parcela is the first white made by Mariano Garcia and Aalto in D.O. Ribera del Duero in Castilla y Leon, Spain, an estate known for reflecting the range of its terroirs. Ribera del Duero sits high on the northern Spanish plateau, where poor, stony soils over limestone and a wide day-to-night temperature swing preserve acidity and concentrate the fruit through hot summers. This single-variety Verdejo is aged for twelve months in 225-litre French oak barrels, an unusually long time for the grape, where slow oxygen exchange through the wood builds structure and a subtle toast and vanilla, and where lees contact adds a creamy, savoury weight. The extended oak is used to broaden the texture while the fresh Verdejo fruit and its herbal signature are kept in view. The colour is bright gold. The nose combines white peach and citrus peel with vanilla, almond and a light toasted note over fresh herbs. The palate is full and textured, the fruit set against a creamy, gently oaky frame and the almondy, faintly bitter finish typical of Verdejo, carried by a firm acidity. Serve at 11 to 13 degrees. It suits richer white fish, poultry and nutty cheeses.