Naia 2024

Naia comes from Bodegas Naia in Rueda, made as a single-varietal Verdejo from a selection of the winery's oldest vines, some of them ungrafted pre-phylloxera plantings on sandy soils. Those old vines carry low yields and give concentrated, characterful fruit, while Rueda's stony high-plateau ground and its hot days and cold nights preserve the aromatics and acidity that define the grape. The fruit is picked at night in early September to keep it cool and fresh, sorted on a selection table, and fermented before four months on the fine lees in stainless steel; the lees contact adds a subtle weight and savoury depth from released mannoproteins while the steel keeps the profile clean and precise. It shows a pale straw colour with green tints and a nose of white peach, green apple and pear over the grape's typical fennel and dried-herb note. The palate is dry and crisp, with a fresh citrus line and the faintly bitter herbal finish of good Verdejo. Serve well chilled at 8 to 10 degrees in a standard white glass. A fine aperitif and a match for shellfish, white fish and salads.