Baigorri Blanco Fermentado en Barrica 2022

Baigorri is a modern Rioja winery in Samaniego, in the Rioja Alavesa, and works entirely by gravity so the grapes and wine move without pumping. This white is made from Viura and Malvasía grown on old, sustainably farmed vineyards, with the Malvasía adding aromatic lift to the structured Viura. The Alavesa sits at the cooler, higher end of Rioja against the shelter of the Sierra de Cantabria, on chalky clay soils that hold moisture and lend the whites their backbone and freshness. The wine is fermented and then aged for eight months in French oak. Fermenting in barrel and keeping the wine on its lees builds a rounder, creamier texture through the release of mannoproteins, while slow oxygen exchange through the oak softens the wine and layers in toast and spice. The result is pale gold. The nose combines pear and white peach with vanilla, toasted bread and a hint of hazelnut, and the palate is broad and textured but kept in line by citrus acidity, closing on a honeyed, savoury finish. Serve it at around 11 to 12 degrees in a larger glass.