White Rioja

In the early 2000s, white Rioja was something of an anachronism, wildly out of fashion and not part of any wine lover’s vernacular. And while it still plays second fiddle to the region’s more famous red wines, today the category has not only returned to critical acclaim, it is, dare we say, increasingly fashionable. Partly this is down to a move by many producers toward a fresher, more youthful style and greater complexity on the palate than the traditional rather rounded, sherried stereotype. But that ageworthy element is also now harnessed in more precise ways, allowing winemakers to tap into the oxidative approach that has become popular in some quarters, but by showcasing fruit rather than oak.