Viñas de Gain Blanco 2018

Wine Description for Viñas de Gain Blanco 2018 by Artadi

Colour & Appearance

Pale lemon yellow with delicate greenish reflections – a wine that already reveals its cool provenance and freshness in the glass.

Nose

Here the Macabeu grape (locally called Viura) shows its most complex side. Grilled pineapple, quince and mirabelle plum form a yellow-fruited foundation of impressive intensity. Over this layer salted caramel, sage and lemon balm, whilst notes of brown butter and butterscotch lend depth. The subtle oak influence manifests itself in delicate hints of coconut and vanilla – never obtrusive, always in service of elegance. The ethereal intensity underscores the remarkable finesse of this white wine.

Palate

The continental climate of Rioja with its extreme day-night temperature fluctuations has produced a wine of fascinating duality here. Powerful in yellow fruit – again dominated by mirabelle plum and grilled pineapple – it simultaneously displays remarkable structure and texture. The linear limestone minerality runs through the wine like a cool current and elegantly breaks up its fullness. An almost saline impression joins cool smoke and fine oak spice. As the temperature rises, a bacony, almost Burgundian mouthfeel develops. The association with Meursault is not far-fetched – this Rioja plays in a league with Europe’s finest white wines.

Finish

Long and invigorating, with hints of creamy custard slice and peach. The minerality carries through to the end and leaves a cool, precise impression.

Terroir & Origin

Artadi, one of the pioneers of modern Rioja, vinifies Macabeu grapes here from old vineyards. The continental climate with its strong temperature fluctuations fundamentally shapes the character of this extraordinary white wine.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Steamed skate wing with ratatouille, marinated hand cheese with caraway on toasted farmhouse bread or red lentil risotto with roasted celeriac cubes and sage foam harmonise perfectly with the structure and minerality of this wine.

Special Features

A white wine that proves Rioja has far more to offer than just Tempranillo. Artadi demonstrates here how Macabeu, in the right hands, matures into a wine of international calibre – complex, age-worthy and of impressive elegance.