Finca Allende Mártires 2023

Finca Allende Martires is a white Rioja made by Miguel Angel de Gregorio in Briones, within D.O.Ca. Rioja. The estate was built on small parcels of old vines that de Gregorio began buying in 1986, and the Viura here comes from mature plantings on the clay and limestone soils that characterise the higher slopes around Briones. These calcareous soils hold water and reflect light, giving slow, even ripening and retaining acidity in a warm continental climate. The fruit is fermented and aged for eleven months in French oak, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves softens the wine and adds structure, while contact with the fine lees builds a creamy, textured palate through the release of mannoproteins. The colour is bright straw gold. The nose leads with white peach and honeyed pear, backed by toasted almond, beeswax and a hint of vanilla from the wood. On the palate it is broad and rounded, the oak folded into stone fruit and a saline citrus freshness that keeps the finish long and savoury. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a full white glass.