'El Muelle' Vino de Pasto, Pago Carrascal 2021

'El muelle' is named for a pier which used to facilitate fishing boats to Sanl̼car de Barrameda. It is a structured, intense white from a second pass fruit selection. During August, a first pass pick takes the lesser fruit of the estate for making Brandy de Jerez distillate. The best fruit comes off in a second pass, and part of it is given a brief asoleo. Most of the fruit is fermented in stainless, with 20% being dried just for 6-8 hours and then fermented in vats of cherry wood and aged a month under light flor.

Somewhat tropical fruit, with peach, apple, and pear. After release, this fruit resolves into citrus and chalk. There's a touch of plumpness, then toast, cereal, and floral aspects in balance, with the false sweetness of chalk filling out the flowers. Savoury and long, with the feel of chalk and lovely structural definition.