Loess Collection Blanco Rueda 2024

Loess was set up in 2001 in Roa, Burgos, when two wine-trade experts acquired plots in Ribera del Duero to work with Tempranillo, then expanded into Rueda to make white wines and became a champion of the Castilla y Leon terroir. This Collection bottling is a Verdejo from Rueda, aged in barrel rather than made in the region's more common fresh, unoaked style. Rueda's high plateau, with its poor, stony, gravel-rich soils and hot days cooled by very chilly nights, gives Verdejo both ripeness and a firm acid line, the wide diurnal swing locking in aromatics and freshness. The wine spends seven months in French oak, where the barrel adds toast, vanilla and a fuller texture through slow oxygen exchange, while contact with the lees builds a creamy, doughy weight. The result is a richer, more structured Verdejo than the usual crisp style. It is deep straw to gold, with white peach, vanilla and fresh dough on the nose over almond and citrus peel. The palate is full and textured, held in balance by fresh acidity and a nutty, lightly toasty finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees.