Gutiérrez de la Vega La Diva 2022

Gutiérrez de la Vega is a small Valencian producer in Marina Alta, on the Alicante coast, where Felipe Gutiérrez de la Vega built a name for sweet Moscatel. La Diva is made from Moscatel, the aromatic Muscat grape that drives the wine's perfume and citrus character. The Mediterranean coast here is warm and sunny, which ripens the Moscatel fully and concentrates its sugar, while the grape's natural orange-blossom and stone-fruit aromatics carry through into a sweet wine. After fermentation the wine is aged in French oak, where slow oxygen exchange through the barrel rounds the texture, adds a light vanilla frame and lifts the fruit towards marmalade and dried apricot. The colour is deep gold. The nose is clearly Muscat, with orange marmalade, apricot and orange peel over honey and white flowers. The palate is sweet and full but held in check by acidity, finishing on candied citrus and a touch of oak. Serve well chilled, around 8 to 10 degrees, in a small glass.