De Sol a Sol Airén 2023

Esencia Rural works at Quero in Toledo, on the high plains of La Mancha, where Julián Ruiz Villanueva turned to organic farming and, from 1998, to organic wine. De Sol a Sol is made from Airén, the workhorse white grape of central Spain, here handled with care as a single variety. La Mancha is a high, dry plateau with a continental climate: hot days, cold nights and a wide diurnal swing that lets the grapes ripen while keeping their acidity, over poor limestone and sandy soils that yield light, mineral wines. This is a natural wine, farmed organically and aged on its lees, with the lees contact lending a gentle texture and a fresh, bready depth while the winemaking stays low in intervention and free of oak. Airén, given this attention, moves well beyond its neutral reputation. Expect a pale, bright wine with a nose of green apple, pear and white flowers over a chamomile and dried-herb note, and a clean, saline palate with a fresh dough character from the lees. It is dry, light and easy to drink. Serve well chilled at 8 to 10 degrees. Natural and vegan.