Oriol Artigas La Canya 2023

La Canya is a natural white from Oriol Artigas in D.O. Alella, one of Spain's oldest and smallest appellations, on the coast north of Barcelona between the Mediterranean and the mountains. It blends Pansa Blanca, the local name for Xarel-lo, with Godello, Garnacha Blanca and Picapoll Blanc, grown on the region's sandy loam soils under a mild coastal Mediterranean climate of gentle winters and hot summers. The free-draining sandy soils and sea influence give a light, fresh, saline style. Farming is organic and the wine is made naturally and vegan, with minimal intervention. It is aged on its lees, which adds texture and a savoury depth while the wine stays low in alcohol at eleven per cent, with no oak to mask the fruit or the site. The colour is pale and bright, sometimes lightly hazy in the natural style. The nose is fresh and coastal, with green apple, lemon and citrus peel over white flowers. The palate is light and crisp, the lees giving a little weight against firm acidity, with a clear saline, mineral finish drawn from the sandy Alella soils. This is a fresh, low-alcohol white for easy drinking. Serve well chilled at 8 to 10 degrees as an aperitif or with light seafood.