£11.95–£13.50, NYWines, Vinissimus, Kwoff, Talking Wines
I recommended a previous vintage of this Spanish white in one of my Festive Wine Guides, so clearly it’s a wine I think works in winter, but as I sipped the 2023 recently it struck me as a perfect candidate for summer drinking.
Let’s settle for it being an all-seasons white – dry, refreshing and aromatic with gingery spice, lime and orange blossom aromas and a rounded palate with a crisp, spicy, grapefruit-and-lime lift.
You’ll see the wine called Dry Muscat, which is what it is, but the name on the label is that of the bodega, Juan Gil, and the region, Jumilla in southeast Spain.
In fact the grape variety is the superior small-berried Muscat, the Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains, or Moscatel de Grano Menudo, grown on hillside vineyards with limestone soils at an altitude of 700m.
Most of the wine is fermented in stainless steel to preserve the freshness and fruit, but 20% is aged in old oak and 10% in concrete to enhance the texture. It’s organic, sustainable, vegetarian and vegan.
The producer, Juan Gil, is one of 11 bodegas around Spain belonging to the family-run Gill Family Estates, owner of more than 1,000ha of vineyards of which 60% are certified organic and the rest are heading that way. They're members of IWCA (International Wineries for Climate Action) and have been awarded its Gold Standard, the highest industry standard in carbon emission reduction. Bravo!
Juan Gil Moscatel is delicious as an aperitif but also comes into its own with shellfish, or fish or chicken flavoured with citrus and herbs, salads with pink grapefruit, onion tart or pasta with ricotta, lemon and broccoli/asparagus/courgette.
Juan Gill Jumilla Blanco 2023, Jumilla, Spain
£11.95, NYWines; £12.95, Vinissimus; £13.49, Kwoff; £13.50, Talking Wines
Comentarios