About this WINE
Viura
Viura is a synonym for Macabeo and is the most widely planted white grape variety in Rioja. It is a fairly straightforward grape to cultivate, although it is susceptible to disease and in particular to downy mildew and grey rot. It is a generous-yielding grape and in Rioja it tends to be blended with approximately 5% Malvasia to produce classic white Riojas. In Rioja Alvesa it is often blended with Tempranillo to produce high quality Red Riojas.
In the wrong hands, Viura can produce rather neutral tasting wines. However skilled winemakers manage to preserve the grape`s natural aromatic freshness and produce wines that are enhanced by oak maturation rather than overwhelmed. Marqués de Cáceres and Herencia Remondo are widely recognised as two of the finest exponents of Viura in Rioja.
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Description
It's always interesting to see two vintages of the same wine side by side, as I also tasted the 2012 Plácet Valtomelloso, one of the first modern whites from Rioja that went back to the tradition. It is a wine created by the junior Rafael Palacios who now has his own winery focused exclusively on whites in Valdeorras in Galicia.
This is a varietal Viura white from a Mediterranean vintage marked by the extreme drought and heat, but saved by late rains in October. The wine is open, aromatic and expressive, with a mixture of yellow fruit, spices and chalky minerality. It is at the same time fresh, voluptuous and charming and seems very Burgundian as it has fresh acidity, minerality, focused flavors and is very pure.
Great Plácet. One of the best, if not the best to date. The vines were planted in 1988 and as the vines mature, the wine is more consistent. 2012 will age well; it's harmonious and balanced. The wine matured in 2,000-liter oval oak vats for 11 months before being bottled into 27,800 bottles. Drink: 2015 - 2022.
92/100 points, Luis Gutierrez, eRobertParker.com #218 Apr 2015
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