Winemaker Notes
Élixir is a feminine and floral wine that is modest yet refined, displaying a beautiful tension between the nose and the palate, reflecting the dialogue between the sand-grown muscatel and the Atlantic Ocean. Its grapes come from one of the oldest local muscatel vines in Chipiona, cultivated on sandy and clay soils of Pago Abulagar.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Élixir was produced with Moscatel de Chipiona on sandy soils from the El Camino plot in Pago Abulagar in Chipiona, which in the past had been blended with Palomino, but since the low-yielding 2019, they used 100% Moscatel and have continued like that. For them, Moscatel is associated with sand. The juice from the direct pressing fermented and matured in well-seasoned, neutral French oak barrels with full lees for 11 months. It has an attractive and beautifully perfumed nose, with echoes from Moscatel but in a subtle way and with more notes of orange peel and peach than pungent jasmine-like aromas, as well as minty and balsamic hints. It has 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.86 with 4.24 grams of acidity, a round palate and elegant and subtle flavors polished by the proximity of the sea and the sandy soils, giving it a salty twist that makes you salivate. It grows on you.
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!