Selma 2019

A white wine of cool tension: pure fruit, taut acidity, 12.5% Vol. alcohol. The oak stays in the background, lending the fruit texture rather than weight.

The grapes come from the El Plà de Manlleu vineyard in the Alt Penedès, Ester Nin's home region. She and Carles Ortiz planted one hectare there. The vines grow at 750 metres of altitude on clay and limestone.

Roussanne, Marsanne, Chenin Blanc and Parellada Montonega, planted together as a field blend. The grapes are pressed slowly and macerated for two days with skins and stems, fermentation begins spontaneously in barrique. This is followed by eight months in nine 300-litre barriques and one 225-litre barrique, then three years in bottle.

Straight from the pour, lime, grapefruit, orange, apricot and young mango, joined by floral scents and fine toasted notes of vanilla, café au lait and praline from the small oak barrel. On the palate, juicy pale fruit with pear and quince, plus an invigorating acidity that picks up the citrus notes from the nose. Those drinking it now should decant it and serve it in large glasses; a day in the fridge after opening also does it good. It can handle a few more years of ageing.

With temaki with avocado, cucumber and fermented soybeans, with crab with tarragon beurre blanc, caviar and potatoes, or with char on kohlrabi with passion fruit-mint dressing.

Ester Nin and Carles Ortiz have worked biodynamically since their first joint vintage in 2008. Their estate belongs to La Renaissance des Appellations, the association of biodynamic producers founded by Nicolas Joly.