Cune Monopole Blanco 2007 Rioja

I had blogged about the 2006 vintage of this wine previously, and reading it now I sounded a bit confused, mainly about the oak, which I don't think I was expecting and didn't really appreciate the complexity it added.

This time around I treated it like the rich, fuller-bodied oaked white that it is, and drank it along with appropriate food (pork chops). I thought it was a lovely wine, lemony with a smooth, buttery character much like an oaked chardonnay, for which it would be a great substitute (or vice-versa). I really enjoyed it, and regret not buying more when it was on offer. Even still, it's not like it's expensive at around £8.

According to the Waitrose website, this is made with the Viura grape variety, which is also known as Macebeo, which you may recognize as one of the grapes used in Cava.

My score has gone up a point from the 2006 blog. It's definitely a food wine, and a fantastic one at that.

Cune
Monopole Rioja Blanco 2007
Rioja, Spain
Waitrose
£5.99 (£7.99)
4/5