Martí Fabra Flor D’Albera 2022

Martí Fabra is based at a 12th-century farmhouse in Sant Climent Sescebes, in the Alt Empordà corner of Catalonia near the French border. The 28-hectare estate has a long winemaking history and was revived by the Fabra family in the early twentieth century. Flor d'Albera comes from a careful selection of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, the finer, small-berried Muscat prized for its perfume. The vineyards sit at the foot of the Albera hills, where poor granite and schist soils and the strong, dry Tramontana wind keep yields low and concentrate aroma. This is a dry Muscat rather than a sweet one: fermented out fully, then aged twelve months in French oak, which tames the grape's exuberance and adds a gentle texture and a savoury edge while the barrel's slow oxygen exchange rounds the fruit. It is bright gold. The nose is markedly floral and perfumed, with orange peel, white peach and apricot over white flowers, rose and a touch of honey, and the palate is dry and textured, the aromatic fruit balanced by fresh acidity and a lightly nutty, oak-fed finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees.