Master of wine Sarah Jane Evans once said that white Rioja could be “a contender for the wine world’s most improved performer.”
While Rioja in northern Spain is best known for its reds, its whites — which make up just 10 per cent of production — are starting to shine. Rioja’s landscape along the Ebro River features dramatic mountains and valleys, and enchanting towns like Logroño, famous for tapas on Calle del Laurel.
White Rioja celebrates viura, an invigorating grape often blended with aromatic malvasía and lush garnacha blanca. These wines balance bright acidity with an array of flavours ranging from zesty citrus to ripe orchard fruits, often enhanced by judicious oak ageing.
López de Haro represents one of the region’s new-wave winemakers. Produced by Bodega Classica, an imposing winery atop a hill in Sonsierra, Rioja Alta, the 2023 offers notes of green apple, pear, and lime. At £9.99 from Majestic, its crispness and subtle complexity make it an excellent friend with seafood paella, scraped with abandon from the pan.
The date on Cosme Palacio Blanco 1894 refers not to the vintage but when Bilbao entrepreneur Cosme Palacio Bermejillo modernised his family’s winery in Laguardia and introduced oak ageing, astonishing dyed-in-the-wool locals in the process. Priced at £46 from Decantalo, the 2019 offers layers of stone fruit, white flowers, and vanilla. It pairs elegantly with roast chicken or even rabbit.
For those seeking the pinnacle of white Rioja, Marques de Murrieta’s Capellania 2018 Reserva is the most extravagantly layered. Made solely from viura from the revered, 80-year-old Capellanía vineyard, this wine is aged for almost two years in new French oak. It boasts quince aromas, and an unabashed richness. At £85 from Fortnum & Mason, it dovetails with mature Manchego slathered in truffle honey.
And for a taste of white Rioja in the heart of London, make your way to Bar Rioja. Tucked away in a screened courtyard near Kings Cross station, this cosy gem whisks you to Logroño. Indulge in a variety of pinchos while sipping on an impressive selection of every hue of Rioja, often preserved via Coravin. ¡Salud!
