Ritme +Ritme 2023

This white comes from bodega Ritme in the D.O.Q. Priorat, made from Grenache Blanc with a portion of Macabeo. The grapes are drawn from old vines of twenty to eighty years, planted on the region's characteristic llicorella, a fine slate that reflects heat, forces roots deep for water and gives Priorat whites their firm mineral backbone. Growing at altitudes between 300 and 650 metres tempers the Mediterranean heat, and the cooler nights hold acidity in fruit that would otherwise ripen quickly. The bunches are hand-picked, given a short cold maceration to draw texture and aroma from the skins, then fermented over three months in French oak barrels and stainless steel. Eleven months on fine lees follows, building a creamy, savoury weight through autolysis while the wood adds gentle oxygen exchange and structure. The colour is deep gold. The nose shows ripe pear, apricot and fennel, with beeswax, honey and a nutty, toasted edge. The palate is full and textured at 14 percent, the fruit and lees depth carried by fresh acidity to a long saline close. Serve at 11 to 12 degrees in a large glass.