Oriol Artigas La Rumbera 2023

Oriol Artigas farms in Llinars del Vallès, on the inland edge of the Alella zone north of Barcelona, and bottles La Rumbera outside any denomination as a natural white from Pansa Blanca, the local name for Xarel·lo. The soils here are sauló, a pale granitic sand weathered from decomposed granite that drains fast and keeps the wine tense rather than heavy. Artigas works with minimal intervention, fermenting with the grape's own yeasts and ageing in wood, where slow contact with the lees and a little oxygen builds body and a savoury, waxy texture without covering the fruit. The result is medium bodied and dry, straw gold in the glass, with white peach, ripe pear and melon carried on an almond and beeswax note and a lift of white flowers. The finish is saline and gently grippy, a mark of the skin and lees handling. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a standard white glass.