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$39
Valenciso barrel ferments this white in Ollauri from Tempranillo Blanco, a white mutation of Rioja’s great red grape. Seven months on the lees give it pear and peach fruit over vanilla, toasted bread and a rounded, smooth palate.
In stock
Description
Valenciso was founded in 1998 by Luis Valentín and Carmen Enciso and works from Ollauri in La Rioja. This white comes from Tempranillo Blanco, a natural white mutation of Tempranillo authorised in Rioja, giving a grape with good acidity and a discreet, savoury character. The wine is fermented in barrel rather than tank, so the yeast works in contact with wood from the start. That barrel fermentation binds the oak more gently into the wine and, together with seven months of ageing on the lees, builds texture through the mannoproteins released as the yeast cells break down. The result is roundness and a fine, creamy weight rather than overt oak. The colour is bright yellow with gold tints. The nose shows pear and white peach lifted by vanilla, toasted bread and a touch of beeswax. The palate is balanced and smooth, the barrel and lees work carried by a clean line of acidity into a long, nutty finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a large white wine glass, and give young bottles a short time open.
Additional information
Serve it with roast chicken, pork loin and baked white fish in a cream sauce, where the barrel weight matches the richness. It also holds up to hard, nutty sheep cheeses such as aged Manchego.
