Mirando al Sur 2020

Mirando al Sur is an organic white made from Viura in the D.O.Ca. Rioja by Olivier Rivière, a French winemaker who worked with Telmo Rodríguez and others before starting his own project here in 2006. He was drawn to Rioja for its old vines and altitude, which suit the fresher, more textured style he favours. The high, continental setting gives cold nights that hold acidity, while the clay and limestone soils lend structure and a saline thread. The wine takes an unusual path in the cellar: eighteen months in old sherry casks followed by twelve months on its lees in stainless steel. The sherry wood allows slow, controlled oxygen contact that builds a nutty, almost oxidative complexity, while the extended lees ageing adds body and a fine, creamy texture. The wine is deep straw gold. The nose shows pear and green apple over almond, beeswax and toast. The palate is broad and savoury, with a saline, nutty finish that recalls its cask ageing. Serve it at 11 to 13 degrees in a large glass.