2021 Pujanza 'Anadas Frias' Blanco Rioja

The white 2021 Añadas Frías (“cold vintages”), produced only in cooler years when the wine has the profile he's looking for, was produced with grapes from a 1.5-hectare vineyard in Laguardia at 600 meters altitude. It has 13.3% alcohol and a very low pH (3.08), which denotes very good freshness and notable acidity (seven grams of tartaric acid per liter of wine). It started fermenting in stainless steel and finished in 500-liter French oak barrels and 800-liter concrete egg. It has a phenomenal nose—nuanced, complex, not too expressive perhaps, a little shy and insinuating, with hints of flowers, pollen and crushed rocks. The palate is vibrant, precise, delineated and fresh with pungent flavors. Possibly the finest vintage to date. 2,045 bottles were filled in 2023.

96 Pts Luis Gutierrez, Robert Parker