RIOJA VIURA 2012 - ABEL MENDOZA

"White wines must be drunk fresh", "the good Rioja is red" and other stereotypes like these, Rioja Viura 2012 by Abel Mendoza comes to break!

Abel Mendoza, the cult producer of Rioja, is completely indifferent to marketing tricks, media, and ignores all the heavy designations like Reserva. His only purpose is to create epic wines that bear the terroir imprint, of the magical areas that his grapes grow. Along with his oenologist wife, they founded their winery in 1988 and began to create wines with an identity that today belongs to the top ones of the region. White Rioja from Viura variety is a fantastic wine, that has evolved beautifully. Viura ferments into new 225lt French oak barrels and after fermentation, matures for about 5 months on its fine lees. But, aging for 7 years in the bottle is what makes the difference!

The golden color, the honey, the nuts, the brown butter and the scorched, charred sour dough bread are the gifts of barrel and aging. The full body and sharp acidity on the other hand are the gifts of Viura that Mendoza knows how to showcase. It's like going for a walk in the open-air markets, holding Viura in one hand, and on the other tapas with manchego, honey and walnuts. Amazing!