Vinas de Gain Blanco, Bodegas Artadi 2016

The white 2016 Viñas de Gaín Blanco is always bottled and sold one year later than the red. It was partly fermented in oak with some skins and aged in stainless steel with lees for 28 months, with only a fraction of the volume matured in barrique for one month before it was transferred to vats. This is always a fresh and more modern version of white Rioja with upfront fruit, more in the Artadi style than the classical wines from the region. It has notes of fennel and aniseed, some white flowers and fruit and just a spicy twist. The palate is medium-bodied and with vibrant acidity. It's a good yielding year, and the crop matured slowly and kept very good freshness. One of the finest whites in recent years. 14,000 bottles were filled in February 2019.