Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Garnatxa Blanca–Macabeo La Loma & Los Santos from Aragón is partly oxidatively handled before being aged in 500- to 900-liter vessels. It is nutty and herbal with vermouth-like notes, pear and dried apricot. Intense and flavorful, it shows impressive depth on the palate.
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James Suckling
Aromas of lemon curd, crushed rocks and fresh herbs. The palate has fresh, mouthwatering acidity, a medium to full body with subtle creaminess and an almost effervescent energy throughout. Long and reverberating. A blend of macabeo and garnacha blanca from two vineyards, one at the entrance of Alpartir and the other one farther away. Fermented in cement and aged in Austrian and French oak of 900 and 500 liters. Drink now or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The white 2022 La Loma & Los Santos contains some 60% Macabeo and 40% Garnacha Blanca. It fermented in concrete and matured in 500- and 900-liter oak barrels for 13 months. There's finesse, and it's delicate but weightless, with 13.5% alcohol and great freshness and acidity showcased by a very low pH of 3.11 and 6.36 grams of acidity. It has the floral notes and the aniseed and fennel from Garnacha Blanca, the texture too, and the spark from the Macabeo. It's herbal and tasty, with some fine tannins and a vibrant, effervescent finish with a bitter twist. It has a lot of finesse.
White grapes are used in two famous types of Spanish wine, Sherry and Cava, but we will limit this discussion to still whites. Let’s begin with perhaps the best known and most highly regarded internationally, Albariño . Produced in the region of Rías Baixas, just above Portugal in northwestern Spain, Albariño typically sees no or little oak and is medium to medium-plus in body. Aroma and flavor notes often include citrus and peach, often with subtle floral notes and a suggestion of sea spray, giving the wine a zesty feel. Often bottled as a single varietal, Albariño is sometimes blended with other indigenous grapes like Loureira and Treixadura. Try one of these Spanish whites from Forjas del Salnes.
Let’s look at a few other Spanish white wines. Godello also hails from northwestern Spain and presents a profile of grapefruit, minerality and a slight smoky quality. Enjoy a bottle from Bodegas Avancia. The region of Rueda, northwest of Madrid, is home to Verdejo , which makes refreshing, un-oaked white wines whose herbal vibrancy recalls Sauvignon Blanc . Protos makes a tasty version. Up north in the Basque region, we find the wine called Txakoli (sometimes called Txakolina). Pronounced “sha-ko-LEE,” it’s made from a local grape called Hondurrabi Zuri and is light, fresh, citrusy, dry … and with razor sharp acidity that makes it a fantastic partner with local seafood and tapas. Ameztoi Gertariako is a good Spanish white wine producer to check out.
The Penedѐs region, best known for the oceans of delicious Cava it sends to the world, also produces still Spanish whites, sometimes from international varieties like Chardonnay , and often from the same grapes used for Cava. These include Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo. Avaline produces a fine example of Penedes white. Finally, we visit the Rioja region. While it is historically and internationally famous for its reds, Rioja also produces fine Spanish white wines. These are usually based on Viura (the local name for Macabeo) and make good everyday sippers, although some aged versions can be stunningly complex. A good place to start is the white Rioja from Bodegas Muga.
As you can see, Spanish white wines offer a vast opportunity for exploration!