Soto Manrique Naranjas Azules Rose 2017

If you’re familiar with most Spanish rosados, this pale orange hued garnacha ros from Rueda will surprise. Husband and wife team (Sr Soto and Sra Manrique) began a project in 2012 to highlight what their homeland of Castilla y Leon is capable of. They found a small, high altitude (780m) 12ha vineyard of poor, limestone rich sandy clay soil, planted to verdejo, garnacha and chardonnay and with vines 20-75 years old. They make only three wines, including this purposeful ros, all biodynamically farmed, native fermented and using ancient clay amphorae. This wine was whole bunch, gently crushed, immediately pressed off skins and fermented in stainless. Lees-led wild raspberry and wild strawberry is streaked with salted dried herbs and generously twisted with bergamot on the finish. There’s a lovely textural mid that makes this wine generous despite its slender 13 degree frame. Salted strawberries linger on the finish. Alive with energy, and beautifully knit, if you shy away from Spanish ross due to their punchy rusticity, try this.