Santa Cruz de Artazu Blanco 2018

I hadn't tasted the top of the range white since the 2015 vintage, and the 2018 Santa Cruz de Artazu Blanco was still not bottled and in tank in November 2021. It was produced with grapes from two plots of Garnacha Blanca they planted 15 years ago on white limestone and clay soils at 450 and 600 meters in altitude. It fermented in 500-liter oak barrels, where it stayed for a month, and then matured in stainless steel. It's flinty and has a somewhat reductive style, with smoky and spicy undertones. The wine is only 13.1% alcohol and has retained 6.15 grams of acidity with a pH of 3.22. It has some rusticity, a little bit in the style of a white Rhône, with volume and a juicy palate but with acidity. They expect to produce some 4,000 bottles of this very soon.

An expressive and intense nose showing some mineral, meringue and pie crust to the spiced lemon and nectarines. Full-bodied and grippy on the palate with a dense entry, but turns fluid and slightly shy in the finish. Pure and seriously structured. Needs one more year in the bottle. Drink in 2024.