Alonso & Pedrajo La Pequeñita Blanco Maturana 2019 Bottle size: 750ml

‘The very dark orange 2019 La Pequeñíta Blanco Macerado Maturana Blanca has a very intense nose of peach in syrup that makes you think of a sweet wine, with notes of quince paste, earth and some spices. It's heavily marked by the maceration with skins in two ancient tinajas (300- and 600-liter) and one 500-liter oak barrel during a slow four-week fermentation; the wine was kept in contact with the skins for four months and then moved to a 500-liter and a 600-liter oak barrel, where the wine decanted with weekly bâtonnage and rested for seven months. It's a wild and characterful wine with 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.35, so with lots of freshness and piercing acidity (the signature of the variety) and a very tasty, salty finish where the texture comes through as chalky and dense. 1,362 bottles were filled in August 2020. 2022 – 2027.’ – Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 93/100

‘Like the Malvasía under the same label, Alberto Pedrajo's Maturana Blanca is aged in a combination of larger barrels and amphoras. Sourced from Cuzcurrita, it's flinty and stony, with ample concentration, pear, pink grapefruit and clementine flavours and a hint of oak spices. 2023-27.’ – Tim Atkin MW, 2023 Rioja Report, 92/100

‘It's unusual to find Maturana Blanca in Rioja, even more unusual to find a skin-contact orange version. Made by Javier Alonso and Alberto Pedrajo – members of the Rioja n Roll group of new wave producers – this spends 100 days in amphora then seven months in oak. Tangy orchard fruit, quince and spice aromas lead to a textured palate with super freshness. Layers of flavour – dried orange peel, apple, pink grapefruit, tropical notes of dried mango – with brisk acidity and a lipsmacking saline finish. Characterful! 2023-2025’ – Julie Sheppard, Decanter, 92/100