Bodegas Exopto Rioja El Bernate de Exopto 2021

El Bernate is a single-vineyard white Rioja from a tiny plot of eighty-year-old Malvasía Riojana at San Vicente de la Sonsierra.

Malvasia Riojana is a minor player in the region, usually a small seasoning component in a Viura-based blend, and bottlings of it on its own are rare. Tom Puyaubert's plot takes its name from the vineyard itself, rooted in highland limestone soils at San Vicente in the Sonsierra. What he is chasing, in his own words, is the mineral and citric character the variety can develop on the limestone soils of Rioja Alta, and the winemaking is shaped around that: two weeks on skins, fermentation with indigenous yeasts in a 950-litre concrete egg, and a further year of maturation in the same vessel before bottling. There is no oak. The result is refined and energetic rather than broad, with layered, crystalline fruit, chamomile and hawthorn scents and a spine of citrus-charged acidity.

Good now and likely to build over five years or more in bottle. Serve at 10-12°C with whole roast fish, grilled white meats or a rich seafood rice.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.