One possible reason is the bad reputation that dogs Rioja's white wines: while the reds and their constituent grape varieties (predominately Tempranillo and Garnacha) marry well with extended periods of aging in barrel, the whites have not always been as comfortable bedfellows. In a recent Decanter article on the region's whites, Sarah Jane Evans MW quoted a 2007 piece in The Guardian, where wine expert Victoria Moore commented: "Most styles of white Rioja are certainly an acquired taste. To some, a mouthful of white Rioja is about as welcome as a bite of balsa wood impregnated with castor oil".
Fortunately, due to advances in vinification technology and consumer demand for fresher, leaner wines, such balsa and engine oil-flavoured bottles are largely a thing of the past. One worthy midweek example is the Cune Barrel-Fermented Rioja Blanco 2016, from one of the region's highest profile bodegas. The barrel fermentation of the wine allows for better oak integration that mere aging alone, and the relatively short 4 months' subsequent resting allows for a better balance between fruit and wood. A pale golden colour in glass, on the nose the wine is reminiscent of boiled toffees and vanilla, which intermingle well with banana and melon flavours. The palate is pleasingly rounded yet with enough acidity to prevent cloying, although I struggled to perceive the same interplay of fruit and oak as I did on the nose. For me, the fruit felt a little muddled and obscured by the wood-derived notes. Nevertheless, subtlety rather than expressiveness is arguably the wine's forte, and it certainly proved a very good companion to a hearty wild mushroom risotto.
Tom's Rating: A well-made gastronomic white Rioja from a powerhouse producer. Perhaps playing it too safe stylistically, though?
Available at: Co-op, £9
