García Duque El Octavo Color 2023

Vinos García Duque is the project of Pilar García Duque in Castilla y León, in and around the high plateau of Rueda where continental conditions and altitude shape the whites. Warm days and cold nights preserve acidity and aromatic freshness in the Sauvignon Blanc, while the poor, stony soils keep yields low and flavours concentrated. Rather than a purely tank-fresh style, the wine spends nine months in barrel, where ageing on the lees adds texture and a light almond note through the slow release of mannoproteins, and gentle oxygen exchange through the wood rounds the palate without masking the grape's character. The colour is bright straw gold. The nose is juicy and herbal, lemon, green apple and white peach lifted by fennel and a fine aniseed thread, with white flowers behind. The palate is dry and textured, the barrel weight balanced by a clear line of acidity, finishing long with a faint stony, almondy edge. Serve at 10 to 11 degrees in a white glass.