Description
Rioja is famous for its much-loved, oak-aged red wines, but the region is also making some fabulous white wines. This high-scoring, Triple Gold winner is one of the very best – from our friend Jean-Marc Sauboua.
Jean-Marc Sauboua was born and raised in Bordeaux, and trained at First Growth Haut-Brion, but is also half Spanish. For many years he’s made wine for us all over the world, Bordeaux in particular, but when he decided to start a project of his own, Rioja was his only thought. And only the very highest parts of the appellation.
Right from the start Jean-Marc’s aim was to make a Grand Cru style of Rioja, wines full of fruit with balanced oak. So it’s no surprise that his Pigeage Blanco is so rich, creamy and complex it could easily be mistaken for a Grand Cru white Burgundy. It’s made with the same painstaking methods, from fermentation in French oak barrels to the stirring of the lees and long ageing in cask.
What’s different is the grapes. Most of the blend is made up of Rioja’s native Viura from 100-year-old vines giving deliciously intense ripe peach flavours. The rest is Chardonnay from high-altitude vineyards, lending fresh, bright minerality and a zippy, citrusy edge. A great choice for a special dinner.
