Rafael Cambra Soplo Blanc 2025

Rafael Cambra returned to his native Valencia after studying oenology in Montpellier and working at Rioja houses including Viña Tondonia and Cune, setting up his own project to reinterpret the wines of the Fontanars dels Alforins area within D.O. Utiel-Requena. Soplo Blanc is a blend of Malvasía and Viura, aged on its lees. Fontanars is a high, inland pocket of the Valencia region, where altitude and cool nights temper the Mediterranean warmth and help the white grapes keep their acidity and aromatic detail. The wine is made in stainless steel and held on its lees, the spent yeast contact adding a subtle roundness and a savoury, nutty note while the steel protects the fresh fruit and floral character. It is unoaked. The colour is pale lemon. The nose is delicate and expressive, with white flowers and hawthorn over hazelnut and a note of citrus. The palate is fresh and elegant, with lemon, green apple and white peach, a fine acid line and the gentle weight the lees provide, closing clean and savoury. Serve chilled at around 9 to 10 degrees. It works as an aperitif and with fresh fish and salads.