Winemaker Notes
Élixir is feminine, floral, demure, fine and with a beautiful tension between the nose and the mouth; the dialogue between the Muscat of sand and the Palomino of albariza.
Blend: 60% Palomino, 40% Moscatel
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Elixir is a new dry blend of Palomino and Moscatel grapes. The Palomino comes from old vines in Viña La Platera from Pago Miraflores in Sanlúcar on classical albariza soils, and the Moscatel comes from Viña Camino del Puerto in the Pago Abulagar in the village of Chipiona on sandy soils with some clay. There is 60% Palomino and 40% Moscatel, and it fermented in Bordeaux oak barrels with indigenous yeasts. It’s perfumed, clean, expressive and showy, with notes of orange blossom, white pepper and a salty twist. The palate is dry, serious, balanced, with focused flavors and a dry finish with a bitter twist. It’s very tasty, long and clean. 4,000 bottles were filled in May 2018.
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!