B de Basilio Blanco 2014

The stunning and elegant white 2014 B de Basilio Blanco seems to defy age with its pale and transparent color and its delicate floral nose. It's a blend of 75% Garnacha Blanca and 25% Viura that ripened thoroughly, but the 14% alcohol in the wine goes unnoticeable and feels light on its feet. This has very good balance, freshness and acidity with very healthy parameters—a pH of 3.3 and six grams of acidity—coming through as harmonious and integrated. It's aging at a glacial pace, and it could be disguised in a blind tasting as something much younger than it is. This is a beauty that has traditional white Rioja typicity, chamomile, dry yellow flowers and a very faint hint of diesel. Believe it or not, this matured in brand-new barrels for 10 months—the barrels were rolled daily and the lees stirred every week for a period of 10 months, yet the wine does not show any oak. 1,188 bottles were filled in June 2015. It should age effortlessly for another decade.