WHITE WINE - Spain

M. Antonio de la Riva (by Willy Peréz and Ramiro Ibañez)
Manuel Antonio de la Riva founded his Jerez bodega in 1858. Located on the famous Arcos Street in Jerez, La Riva enjoyed great success with wines sourced from Manuel's vineyards in Pago Marcharnudo. More than a century later (after Manuel's death), it was bought by Domecq, who added La Riva to some of their best wines. With the decline and devaluation of Jerez after the 1960s, Domecq slowly began eliminating brands and La Riva ceased to exist; the brand names were sold to Beam International.

Before the end of La Riva, young winemaker Luis Pérez (who later founded Bodegas Luis Pérez) had started working as a winemaker in several of the Domecq subsidiaries: Blázquez, Florido, Hermanos y Sancho and … La Riva! Luis learned the vineyards, practices and wines of the La Riva brands just before they were deleted. With the historical knowledge of Luis to guide them, next generation winemakers Willy Pérez (son of Luis) and Ramiro Ibáñez decided to recuperate the brand and its historical wines before they became entirely forgotten. Willy and Ramiro bought back the rights to the La Riva brands in 2017, and have since negotiated access to some of the famous plots from which they were sourced (and which had since become anonymous fruit sources for un-aspirational Sherries), in Balbaina Alta, and particularly Macharnudo.

M.ANTONIO de la RIVA Macharnudo Palomino de Flor con asoleado

La Riva Macharnudo Blanco recuperates a great wine based in the 'el Majuelo' vineyard (specifically in the tiny sub-vineyard parcela, el notario) within Pago Macharnudo[1]; a historical wine of el Marco de Jerez which disappeared under Domecq in the 1980s. 'El Notario' faces north (just under el Castillo de Majuelo, a castle crowning the pago) at 115m altitude, 18km in from the Atlantic, in a mixed poniente-levante setting. The soils are Tosca cerrada and barajuelas with a high level of diatomaceous fossils promoting great freshness. The fruit (Palomino 84) is hand-picked, with individual bunches selected in repeated passes over 2 months, which gain a degree or so of alcohol from an 8 hour soleo. It's then whole bunch pressed (only half the juice is taken). An ambient spontaneous fermentation in 600l  bota precedes 20 months ageing under a film of flor. 1,500 bottles were filled in May 2019 at 14% abv, 5.5 ta, and neither filtered nor fined. It faithfully reflects the origin and style of the structured white wine elaborated under this brand in the past. THE SPANISH ACQUISTION

This crystalline, fleshy Godello comes from a terraced vineyard that has been painstakingly restored by Algueira's Fernando González. This vineyard lies on the cooler, north facing Orense bank of the River Sil, the opposite side to most of Algueira's holdings. Here the 30 to 80 year old vines are rooted in the losa (schist) soils of the Amandi gorge. The name of the wine pays tribute to the Celtic ancestry of the region by the way (Brandan was a Celtic warlord who originally settled the area). Fermented with natural yeasts only and aged entirely without oak. BIBENDUM

Olabarri's wines break away from the traditional, oak-aged oxidative style that focuses on a pleasing natural depth without obvious winemaking to force style and flavour from bland grapes. Cool stainless steel fermentation, wild yeast, free run juice with minimal lees/skin contact.

A nose of jackfruit flesh, curry leaf, a bit spicy and lemon fresh. The palate is nicely phenolic, without excess, and with a lovely clairty to the fruit. A little bit of richness and perfectly savoury, it’s filled out with spiced fruit acid and feel of the chalky limestone in which it’s grown and a dash of grilled nuts. Perfectly midweight, nicely rounded, it sits gently with presence, freshness edging and shaping.

The 2021 Moscatel - Macabeo - Airén was produced with 40% Moscatel, 40% Macabeo and 20% Airén that fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and was kept with the lees until bottling. This is very floral, herbal and expressive, a blend to show the landscape, because he thinks the Moscatel is not complete enough to be bottled alone. So, this combines notes of jasmine, chamomile, fennel and grass, and all the wines fermented with indigenous yeasts. It's long and clean and has a dry, chalky finish with a saline twist. It has medium ripeness at 13% alcohol and a pH of 3.3. The whites don't go through malolactic to keep the tension and freshness, and the malic acid is not very high. The vines are in the process of being certified organic. 91 pts, LUIS GUITERREZ, Robert Parker

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Quite an intense verdejo with a flinty streak to the lemon curd, oatmeal and pomelo fruit. A hint of fennel, too. Medium-to full-bodied and flavorful with bright acidity cutting it through, followed by a twist of grapefruit-skin bitterness adding phenolic interest at the end. Vegan. Drink or hold. JAMES SUCKLING

This is a large but quality co-operative that manages to produce some incredible wines from organic grapes. This is off old-vine fruit and sees some time on lees which adds a wonderful texture and grip to the pure fruits. Cerainly on the more serious side of things here and not your average verdejo.

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Fontana Bodegas & Viñedos is a leading producer of Estate wines, owning over 600 hectares, and managing a further 400 hectares of sustainably farmed, high-altitude vineyards in Castile, Central Spain.

Jesús Cantarero, the current owner, has now brought together a highly experienced, eclectic, multi-national team of wine professionals, including Sam Harrop MW, who produce authentic, contemporary wines of great purity and freshness.

Leaps out of the glass with a melange for of frest fruits' ; apple, citrus, green melon, lime and nectarine. Fresh notes of grass, fennel and white pepper hit little top notes here and there. There I no oak to trick this up it's all about purity and freshness. Dry and crisp with excellent balance and a persistent finish and a tug of minerality to keep things interesting. Packed full of flavour and will go down and absolute treat.

Vintages don't necessarily follow in chronological order here, so from the 2014 I tasted last year (which is just being released now!), we jump to the 2018 Gorvia Blanco. This plot had normal yields in 2018, as the development was quite early and the fruit setting was before the problems showed up. This is the first year that has a little Godello, as Mateo replaced the dead vines and regrafted some rows with Godello, so it has a very small percentage (perhaps 5%). This is sharp, austere, mineral and incredibly young, and it finishes with a clean, sharp and precise salty note. This follows the textural direction of the Fisterra, or the wine he bottled for Matador. This should develop in bottle for a long time. He thinks 2014 is starting to show well now, almost six years after the harvest. I think this wine can be enjoyed young, but it will improve and develop a lot in bottle. LUIS GUITIERREZ, The Wine Advocate

The 2022 Godello Louro Do Bolo is sourced in O Bolo, Valdeorras and was aged for four months in foudre on fine lees. It has a greenish hue with a yellow sheen. The nose reveals notes of green apple, herbs and chamomile, along with hints of white flowers and peaches. Rich, concentrated and oily, with a refreshing, taut palate, this detailed white lingers long and precise. JOAQUIN HIDALGO, Vinous.com

 

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This charged, fuzzy/tangy, textural white takes its name from a trellis system unique to the Canary Islands and known locally as el cordón trenzado (the braided cord). This type of trellising results in a plaited cordon with several of a single vine’s branches braided together. It’s an old-vine blend of Listán Blanco from the high altitude, north-facing vineyards of Esquilón and La Piñer, with a young vine vidueño (field blend) from La Florida, where Gual, Marmajuelo, Torrontes, Albillo Criollo, Vijariego Blanco and Verdelho populate the vineyard.

All the grapes are hand-harvested, and the wine is fermented (with a small portion left on skins) and aged in large oak ovals for nine months on lees before bottling

The 20 year old vineyards sit 15 kilometers distance from the mouth of the Miño River in the subzone of O Rosal, Pontevedra, on the banks of the Miño River. Manual harvest and careful selection of the grapes, cold pre-fermentation maceration with their skins for 10 hours. Finally, it moves to Casa Rojo to age in new French oak barrels for an additional 5 months. During the alcoholic (22 degrees) and malolactic fermentation in the French wood foudres of 11,000 kilos, and later for 4 more months until stabilization prior to bottling.

Apple skin, pear, fresh summer peach with pithy lemon rind, and chalky citrus notes make for an enticing and beguiling nose. Wonderful focus and drive with that tell-tale salinity from its proximity to the coastal shores punctuating the juicy fruit with every sip. Its racy, vibrant, and fresh with punchy fruit. Tangy and crisp with plenty of zip. Lovely, lovely wine! PWS

The vineyards of  100% Sauvignon Blanc are between 20 and 30 years old, located in the municipality of Valdestillas, (Valladolid) at an altitude of 750 meters; mechanized harvest and harvested at night. A low temperature fermentation at keeps the aromas of the variety. Aging was on fine lees for 3 months.

Opens first with tropical notes of mango and pineapple accompanied by slight hints of citrus, and herbaceous details. On the palate the wine is dry, with fresh zingy acidity that gives it a lovely nervousity with a delicate mineral steak that spikes the fruit. Great balance and super easy to enjoy.

Tasting notes: Yellow color with golden highlights. Medium aromatic intensity on the nose, mature white fruit, banana, herbaceous notes like fennel and aromas redolent of fresh quince. Fresh entry on the palate, good acidity and structure, wood and fruit in harmony, long finish with a mineral feeling. BARRICA WINES

 

A wine of good volume with nice stretch, saline freshness and a sense of Miraflores open fluidity. Good skin concentration plays out as pickled cumquats, with old marigolds, a lick of chalk and smoky blue steel. In the run home, it turns deftly sour, running out on a lovely bitter herb tisane. The gentle release approximates a smile. THE SPANISH ACQUISITION

 

The Agrícola Castellana Cooperative, situated in the heart of the Rueda D.O., was set up in La Seca (Valladolid) by small number of dedicated vine growers wishing to add value to their products.

Today, it consists of some 400 members who cultivate 2000 hectares of vineyards with modern equipment for the production of 7 millions of litres of wine per harvest and facilities for manufacturing one million of these in oak.

The Bodega has up to date machinery for the reception of the grapes, pneumatic presses and temperature controlled, stainless steel vessels for fermentation, all of wich have contributed enormously to improve the quality of the wines.

Another spot on release brimming with summer fruit salad, peach pulp and a delicate floral lift. It's juicy and fleshy with just a little snap on the palate to keep it fresh. Drink don't think!

Low crop, high levels of vineyard vigilance, organic growing techniques, picked in the cooler hours of the day (mornings) and packed into small crates, begins a process of meticulous winemaking. The grapes then go through several selection passes, followed by ‘must’ chilling and fermentation in stainless steel.

Macabeo (also known as Viura) is cultivated all over Spain. It is sometimes criticized for being on the neutral side, but it is capable of yielding wines with finesse, good aromatics and an herby, spicy nose. It is a vine of medium strength with a good yield; large bunches with compact, thin-skinned berries.

Fresh-cut fruit: pineapple, apple, grapefruit and a white floral top-note. 100% varietal on the palate; a creamy open feel, and a tweak of nutty acid/earth definition. Simple, gentle and harmonious, perfect house wine style.

The eponymous red 2017 Marañones makes reference to a zone of the same name in the village of San Martín de Valdeiglesias that also names the project. It's pure Garnacha from three vineyards in the named "paraje" on north-facing slopes on granite at 750 to 850 meters in altitude. The full clusters fermented in 3,300-liter French oak foudres with natural yeasts after a cold soak, and the wine matured in 2,500- and 3,00-liter oak foudres for one year. It has a developed color and nose that is quite delicate and Mediterranean, in the style of a ripe vintage of Pignan, with citrus, floral and some balsamic/herbal notes as the wine warms up in the glass. It has the grainy and chalky tannins from the granite soils and is nicely balanced, with contained ripeness and a solid structure. It has the chalky saltiness that I find in many of the Marañones wines. These vineyards delivered good yields in 2017, and the amount of bunches and grapes compensated the warm conditions, resulting in contained ripeness. 7,400 bottles were filled in June 2019. LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate

El Muelle is named for a pier which used to serve fishing boats in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. It’s ‘nominally’ a Vino de Pasto, a wine with some bodega ageing development, but short of the requirements for Fino. In the case of ‘el Muelle’, it’s a Vino de Pasto very lightly touched by ageing.

El Muelle is a structured, detailed rich and savoury wine, part of which is given a brief soleo. It’s fermented and aged in a mix of stainless steel (80-90%) and bota. Only a small portion develops flor. Both portions spend 6 months in tank to unify. The wine is naturally acidified with addition of a light ‘green wine’ fermented from the green harvest in July.

Somewhat tropical fruit, with peach, apple, and pear. After release, this fruit resolves into citrus and chalk. There's a touch of plumpness, then toast, cereal, and floral aspects in balance, with the false sweetness of chalk filling out the flowers. Savoury and long, with the feel of chalk and lovely structural definition.

40 year old vines are grown in Oimbra on a mix of sand, schist and silty-clay soils. The Godello is de-stemmed, cold macerated for a few hours and fermented cool and quiet in stainless steel. A lively golden yellow and nice and bright in the glass, Minius smells clearly of Monterrei's granitic sand soils and the golden orchard fruits one expects from Godello. There are hints of fennel, citrus and subtle florals too, and the palate is a beautifully balanced rich-round style typical Godello golden oil is cut with delicate herbal bitterness and there is excellent freshness to finish.

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Barrel aged Albariño is something of a rarity, the right quality of fruit and winemaking knowhow is essential. Aged in old oak Foudres, this Albariño retains its characteristic freshness, with all the positive impacts of oak aging. Slightly spiced ripe stone fruit on the nose, with a palate of candied lemon skin, smoky spiced vanilla and dried apricot. BARRICA

 

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The vibrant Leirana is powerful with granite minerality, showcasing the serious style of the whites. It has an electric palate that is clean and tasty, with a stony finish. This represents the Salnés region of Rías Baixas very well. LUIS GUTIERREZ, Wine Advocate

Treixadura, Loureira. Fresh and crisp, a nose of citrus and apple gives way to flavours of crisp apple, lemon rind and bouncy acidity. BARRICA

100% Godello. Forthright upfront fruit bursts out immediately, intense flavours of grapefruit citrus, ripe stone fruits and juicy ripe lime flesh, backed by aromas of cooked lemon, tangerine skin and white flowers. BARRICA WINES

 

Limpid, yellow-gold. A highly complex, mineral-laced bouquet evokes fresh citrus and orchard fruits, chalky minerals, sweet butter and white flowers. A hint of anise emerges with air. Shows noteworthy depth and sharp delineation in the mouth, offering vibrant orange zest, pear nectar, buttered toast and succulent herb flavors that tighten up slowly on the back half. Powerful, yet graceful in character, displaying superb focus and mineral thrust on an impressively long finish that features lingering floral and orchard fruit flourishes. (Aged in a combination of stainless steel tanks and used 500-liter French oak barrels.) JOSH RAYNOLDS, Vinous.com

 

 

Even the entry-level white 2020 Candea Blanco, a regional blend of equal parts of Dona Blanca, Verdello and Treixadura fermented and kept with lees in stainless steel for one year, shows character, cleanliness, precision and freshness beyond the price point, and it transcends appellation and vintage and is offered with some time in bottle. It has only 12.5% alcohol and an expressive nose of herbs and flowers, and it is balanced, harmonious and elegant and finishes dry and long with a tasty and salty twist. A bargain. 6,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2022. LUIS GUTIERREZ, Wine Advocate

 

 

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Made with grapes from our 15 year old vines, together with those of some selected vine growers, who work in unison following common guidelines established by our winery. The land, the viticulture and the grapes here sound in tune with the same baton. The result? A wine with its own identity, which treasures the chords of minerality and acidity of the Pedralonga wines.It is fresh, with good acidity and hints of green apple, unctuous and mineral. ADEGA PEDRALONG

 

The Unculín Blanco that was produced until 2020 has been renamed and is now the 2021 Godello y Doña Blanca, named after the two varieties that compose the blend (approximately 60/40). It was produced with grapes from Valtuille de Abajo (mentioned on the label). It's austere, with moderate ripeness and alcohol, very good freshness, a stony, mineral and serious palate and a dry, long and almost salty finish. Doña Blanca has to be harvested with 10.5% or 11% to keep the crunchiness, and in this vintage they even added some Palomino too. 6,000 bottles were filled in October 2022. LUIS GUITIERREZ, Wine Advocate

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!