2016 Que Bonito Cacareaba

The great Burgundian-style 2016 Qué Bonito Cacareaba is a blend of Garnacha Blanca, Malvasía Riojana and Viura from old vineyards on poor clay and limestone soils. It fermented in new French oak barrels with indigenous yeasts, yet you cannot say the wine is oaky, as it's so intense that the oak feels very integrated. It has fine aromas, yeasty, spicy, smoky and chalky, with a core of white and yellow fruit and flowers, very clean, subtle, focused and precise. The palate reveals terrific balance, very clean flavors and a tasty, almost salty finish. There is great freshness and integrated acidity. It's not a shy white, as it hits the scale at 15.28% alcohol, but it's not noticed, perhaps because of its very healthy pH (3.11) and acidity. This is truly outstanding—the best vintage I remember for this bottling and a white with a great future in bottle. 7,000 bottles were filled in July 2017.