Cisteller Verbena 2024

Cisteller is a small organic winery on the family El Sot estate in the Ordal mountains of the Penedès, Catalonia, founded in 2022 by Jessica Madigan and Sergi Canals, two oenologists who met in the laboratory at UC Davis. Verbena is made from Manzoni Bianco, a crossing of Riesling and Pinot Blanc that carries the aromatic lift of its Riesling parent. The vineyards sit in the hills above the coastal plain, where altitude and the cooling influence of the sea slow ripening and preserve the grape's natural acidity and perfume. The wine is farmed organically and aged eight months on its lees, a period of contact with the spent yeast that softens the acidity and adds a fine, gently creamy texture beneath the fruit. The colour is pale straw with a green tint. The nose is floral and expressive, with white flowers, elderflower and white peach over green apple and pear. The palate is dry and precise, the aromatic fruit framed by bright acidity and a subtle lees roundness, closing on lemon and chamomile. Serve at 9 to 10 degrees.