Nivarius Edición Limitada 2020

Nivarius is a Rioja producer that works only with white grapes, and this limited edition blends Viura with the native Maturana Blanca from high-altitude sites in the region. Altitude matters here: cool nights slow ripening and hold on to natural acidity, which gives the wine its backbone and keeps the fruit fresh despite the oak. The wine spends twelve months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange through the wood softens the texture and adds toasted, nutty tones, while contact with the spent yeast lees builds a rounder, creamier mouthfeel. The result is pale gold in colour, with a nose of baked apple, white flowers and a delicate spice. On the palate it is structured and expressive, carrying pear and green apple fruit alongside vanilla, toasted bread and almond, and closing long and savoury. This is a white built for the table rather than the aperitif. Serve it at 10 to 12 degrees in a full white glass, and give it a few minutes to open. It suits roast chicken, baked white fish and hard mountain cheeses.