Viña Encina Blanco 2024

Vina Encina Blanco is a kosher white from the D.O. La Mancha, made by Elvi Wines from Macabeo and Moscatel. La Mancha is a high, dry plateau in central Spain with hot days and cold nights, a wide diurnal range that helps the grapes hold acidity and aromatic lift despite the heat. The two varieties are handled separately. Both begin with a cool skin maceration of about eight hours near 10 degrees to draw out aroma, then are pressed, racked and fermented at around 15 degrees, before being blended together with part of the lees kept back for texture, followed by regular lees stirring. Macabeo provides the fresh backbone of green apple, lemon and white flowers, while Moscatel adds its grapey, floral perfume of orange blossom and white peach. The wine sees no oak, so it stays bright and primary. The palate is light and fresh with a soft, faintly honeyed fruit and a clean finish. Serve well chilled at 8 to 10 degrees. It works as an aperitif and with lighter fish, shellfish and salads.