El Mago Garnacha Blanca 2023

Franck Massard is hands-down one of Spain’s most respected independent winemakers. Originally from the Loire Valley and now based in Priorat, his wines combine French sophistication with Spanish power. Priorat isn’t cheap, so a few years back Franck ventured further southwest to Terra Alta on the hunt for great value and quality. He found a small family winery here who were ahead of their time - they were the first growers in the region to pioneer organic farming. Terra Alta is perfectly suited to organics. It has two winds - El Cierzo which is hot and dry and blows from inland, and the Garbinada, which is cool and fresh and blows in from the sea. These winds keep the grapes in the vineyards healthy, dry and fresh. Franck picks the grapes slightly earlier than most locals - this preserves even more freshness in the wine - and ferments in a mixture of stainless steel and concrete tanks. He then ages the wine for seven months in old French oak barrels, which gives the wine lovely texture. This is everything I love in a white wine - textured, easy-drinking and lip-smackingly fresh.