LaRural Macabeu 2024

Xavi and Andreu Padro run LaRural in Catalonia, part of the region's natural winemaking community, farming organically and bottling with little or no added sulphur. This wine is built on Macabeo, the Catalan white also known as Viura, with other white varieties in the blend. As an orange wine it is fermented in contact with its skins, which draws tannin, colour and phenolic compounds from the skins and gives a gentle grip and amber tint. It is then aged on its lees, where the spent yeast cells break down and release mannoproteins that round out the texture and add a savoury note while preserving freshness. At 11 per cent the alcohol is low, and the overall style is bright and zesty rather than oxidative. The colour is pale amber. The nose shows green apple, lemon and pear, lifted by white flowers and dried herbs. The palate is dry and fresh, the lees giving a soft texture and the skin tannin a light grip, closing on citrus peel and almond. Serve at 9 to 11 degrees in a white wine glass. It suits white fish, shellfish and green salads.