Rippa Dorii Verdejo DO Rueda (Organic)

The Rippa Dorii Verdejo DO Rueda (Organic) was a bit of a revelation on a very busy tasting day in London. I had just hooked up with a couple of good friends, and ex-colleagues from my Oddbins days, and we all tried this together. The simultaneous looking up from all three of us marked a real winner. Verdejo has been gaining some much deserved traction over recent years and this one really shone. The grapes are sourced from organically cultivated, high altitude, vineyards across the Rueda appellation. Some of these are 60+ year old, low yielding vines, which add a profound richness to the finished article. Every care is taken with the fruit and harvesting is even done at night to protect the grapes. Flavour wise this is a rich, dry white with notes of ripe citrus, white peach, melon, baked & green apple, alongside refreshing, balanced acidity with a rich, saline tinged, minerally lengthy finish. The fact that Rueda is still quite unknown, when compared to the likes of Rioja, make for some absolute bargains to be had still. I can’t think of anything that won’t appeal to just about any white wine fan that wants a truly characterful drop which is also organic and sustainable.