Vivanco 4 Varietales Blanco de Guarda 2014

The 2014 Colección 4 Varietales Blanco de Guarda is produced with four white grapes, Garnacha Blanca (40%), Maturana Blanca (30%), Tempranillo Blanco (20%) and Viura (10%) fermented separately, mostly in stainless steel but with 20% of the volume fermented in 500-liter French oak barriques. Each portion aged separately in its fermentation vessel for some 12 months and was then blended and bottled and kept in bottle for two years before being sold. It has a completely different nose, with notes that reminded me more of a white from Galicia, with some developed aromas but without the aid of oak. It has varietal complexity very far away from Viura and some yeasty, leesy aromas and bottle reduction. It's completely opposite to a traditional oak-aged Viura. The palate shows some austerity with notable acidity, lacking a bit in the mid-palate. I believe this wine will show more depth when the vineyards mature. 3,251 bottles were filled in October 2015.

This is unusually aromatic for a white Rioja with plenty of ripe pears and a hint of vanilla. Juicy pears and lemons and rather elegant acidity, nicely supported by a hint of tannin. A blend of garnacha blanca, maturana blanca, tempranillo blanca and viura. Drink now or in 2019.