Viñas de Gain Blanco 2018

Wine description for Viñas de Gain Blanco 2018 by Artadi

Colour & appearance

Pale lemon yellow with delicate green reflections – clear and vibrant in the glass.

Nose

A serious, mature opening: quince and mirabelle set the tone, accompanied by caramelised pineapple. Salted caramel meets sage and lemon balm, with a hint of brown butter and butterscotch lingering in the background. The wood remains subtle: delicate coconut, a touch of vanilla. The ethereal intensity speaks of finesse rather than exuberance.

Palate

Intensely concentrated yellow fruit – again mirabelle and pineapple – yet immediately a linear chalky minerality cuts through the richness. Cool, almost salty, with plenty of texture and structure. Cold smoke and fine spicy oak underpin the impression, and with air and warmth it develops a rich, creamy mouthfeel. A wine that would comfortably hold its own alongside a young Meursault in a blind tasting.

Finish

Long and coolly mineral, with a trace of peach cream slice on the aftertaste – the elegance persists to the very end.

Terroir & origin

From the Rioja Alavesa, sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria, on limestone-rich, clay-heavy soils around Laguardia. Cool nights and significant diurnal temperature variation shape the acid structure. Artadi left the DOCa Rioja in 2015 out of conviction – since then, the label has spoken of the parcel rather than cask ageing.

Grape variety & vinification

Pure Viura – the white grape of Rioja, here taken seriously rather than treated as an afterthought. At Artadi, farming is organic, without herbicides or synthetic chemicals; in the cellar, open-top fermenters and French barriques are used – providing structure without oak dominance. 13.5% abv, dry.

Food recommendations

The salty depth and roasted aromatics call for substance on the plate: steamed skate wing with ratatouille, marinated hand cheese with caraway on toasted country bread, or red lentil risotto with roasted celery cubes and sage foam.

Special characteristics

With this white wine, Juan Carlos López de Lacalle has demonstrated what he long ago proved with his single-vineyard reds: great Rioja is made in the vineyard, not in the barrel. A Viura with a Burgundian sensibility – precise rather than pompous, with the potential for many years of bottle ageing. The fact that he withdrew his wine from Spain’s most famous appellation in order to create it makes it all the more remarkable.