Montebuena Rioja Blanco

Pale gold, perhaps reminiscent of Pinot Grigio on the nose. A veritable fruit salad of pear, papaya and plenty of yellow fruits. Light oily texture, fresh and tangy on the front with surprising length on the finish.

Made from Viura with a small amount of Tempranillo Blanco (a fairly new white mutation of red Tempranillo). even though this is not disclosed on the back of the label. grown at high altitude from old vines with an average age of 55 years. Cool fermented for 14 days at 14 degrees, with aging on fine lees for texture. This is the key white grape of Rioja that makes up 70% of white plantings in Rioja. Outside of Rioja it is known as 'Macabeo' and is also one of the three core grapes made in Spain's sparking Cava wines. There is a also smidge grown in Southern France, but just 7% of the volumes in Spain.

Viura changes in character significantly based on how the wine is made, if picked early, fermented at cool temperatures in steel it is crisp, aromatic, and floral. Picked later and fermented in barrel results in a fat, nutty, and honeyed wine.

Montebuena is a Co-Op formed in the 1960s, bringing together the fruit from an impressive 160 hectares of vineyards in the Alavesa region of Rioja. This is the Northern-most sub-region and boasts some of the best sites in Rioja, protected by the Sierra Cantabria mountains.