Allende Blanco 2013

The white 2013 Allende is a wine that is often overlooked, but should not be. This is a blend of Viura with some 5% Malvasía Riojana fermented in (mostly) new French oak barrels (this is the first vintage where he has introduced used oak for the white); it matured in those barrels for 14 months, the first seven of which it was in contact with the lees that were stirred twice per week. 2013 was a very cold and challenging year, and they had to sort and select quite drastically. The nose is clean and with some honeyed aromas; there are notes of fennel, licorice, white flowers and a touch of petrol. The palate is much fresher, with vibrant acidity and a refreshing mouthfeel. Drinking windows are always a challenge as the first vintage here, the 1999 is still lively and young, so I'm pretty conservative here, especially for years with acidity like this 2013. 32,000 bottles. - Luis Gutiérrez.