Exopto Field Blend Blanco 2024

Exopto Field Blend Blanco is a white from D.O.Ca. Rioja made as a traditional field blend, with Garnacha Blanca, Viura, Malvasía Fina, Maturana, Moscatel and Palomino grown and picked together. Interplanting these varieties in one plot means they ripen and are harvested as a single lot, so the blend is set in the vineyard rather than the cellar and reflects the site as a whole. Rioja's continental climate, with warm days and cool nights, keeps acidity intact while the fruit ripens, and the mix of grapes layers Viura's structure and Garnacha Blanca's body with Moscatel and Malvasía aromatics. The wine is aged in barrel, where slow oxygen exchange and lees contact add roundness and a light toasted frame without masking the fruit. It is bright yellow-gold. The nose is pear and apricot with honey, beeswax and a floral lift, backed by gentle oak. The palate is dry and textured, with orchard fruit, a nutty edge and a fresh, citrus-peel finish. Serve lightly chilled at around 10 to 12 degrees. It suits richer fish and white meats.