Predicador 2024 White

Much of the great diversity found in white Rioja today stems from the vision and experimentation of some of the region's leading producers over recent decades.

After working as winemaker at Artadi until 2000, Benjamín Romeo established his own winery in San Vicente de la Sonsierra. His first release was La Cueva del Contador 1996, followed by his top cuvée, Contador, with the 1999 vintage. Although Romeo quickly earned a reputation for his reds, it was not long before he turned his attention to whites. He began with the top cuvée El Contador de Gallocanta –later renamed Qué Bonito Cacareaba after a trademark dispute with US wine producer Gallo– and, shortly afterwards, with the more affordable Predicador.

Both wines are typically blends of Viura, Garnacha Blanca and Malvasía, yet while Qué Bonito Cacareaba is intended to age and mature in the bottle, Predicador is more immediate, with a drinking window of four to five years.

The two distinguishing features of Romeo’s white wines are the inclusion of Garnacha Blanca in the blend from the outset (the first vintage of Gallocanta/Qué Bonito Cacareaba was 2002; Predicador, 2007) and the preference for a rich, opulent and full-bodied style. At 14.5% alcohol, the 2024 Predicador is certainly not a light, refreshing white. However, its structure is balanced by enough acidity to make it an excellent partner for summer dining, capable of taking the place of a structured red.

The grapes come from six plots ranging from 20 to 40 years old in San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Labastida: El Bombón, Sacramento, El Saúco, Hoyo, San Francisco and Murmurón. The wine was fermented and aged in a combination of new (30%) and second-use (70%) French oak barrels for nine months.

The blend gives equal prominence to Viura (35%)  and Malvasía (35%) with Garnacha Blanca accounting for the remaining 30%. In the result is a balanced, complex wine with subtle toasted notes, hints of stone fruit and fresh almonds, and floral undertones. It is full-bodied and rich with an enveloping finish and hints of aromatic herbs, most likely the hallmark of the Garnacha Blanca. This serious, characterful white pays tribute to the preacher portrayed by Clint Eastwood in the film Pale Rider.

14.5% abv.
28 €
9,000 bottles
Score: 93