Cal Pla Blanc 2023

Cal Pla Blanc is made by Celler Cal Pla in the Priorat, blending Macabeo at 40 percent with equal parts Garnacha Blanca and Moscatel. The fruit comes from 15 year old vines on the region's characteristic slate soils, planted at 300 metres and oriented south-west, with a low average yield of 1.5 kilos per vine that concentrates the fruit. Harvest is by hand in the last week of September. The wine is macerated on its skins before fermentation in temperature controlled tanks, then aged five months in a mix of French and American oak. Skin contact adds texture and aromatic depth, while the two oak types work differently, French wood lending finer spice and structure, American giving a rounder, sweeter vanilla note. The Moscatel is the aromatic signature here, contributing orange blossom and floral perfume that the oak frames rather than covers. The colour is bright gold. The nose leads with white flowers, orange peel and rose over white peach and pear, with a bitter almond note from the Macabeo. The palate is dry and textured, the aromatic fruit balanced by slate driven minerality and a savoury oak edge. Serve at 11 degrees.