Familia Torres Milmanda 2022

Familia Torres Milmanda is a barrel aged Chardonnay from D.O. Conca de Barbera, made by Familia Torres from vines at the foot of the medieval Milmanda castle. The site sits inland in the cooler Catalan highlands, where the altitude and a wide day to night temperature swing slow ripening and preserve the acidity that keeps an oaked Chardonnay balanced. The soils are limestone rich, which lends freshness and a mineral line. After a careful harvest the wine is fermented and then aged for twelve months in French oak. Barrel fermentation and lees contact build a creamy, rounded texture through malolactic conversion and the release of mannoproteins, while the new oak adds vanilla, toast and a nutty spice. The result is a full bodied and complex white in the classic mould. Expect a bright gold colour and a nose of white peach, hazelnut and butter with a note of toasted oak. The palate is dry and rich, medium to full bodied, with ripe orchard fruit, a creamy weight and a long, toasted finish carried by fresh acidity. Serve at 11 to 13 degrees in a large glass.