Mesquida Mora Sincronia Blanc 2021
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Robert
Parker
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The notes of white fruits like apple and pear appear first, then giving way to sweeter sensations reminiscent of peach or melon, with a slight hint of cocoanut. In the mouth it is well-rounded, meaty, long and persistent, with a finish that is full but fresh.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The young and tender 2021 Sincronia Blanc was produced with a blend of Premsal, Giró and Chardonnay, a light and easy-to-drink Mediterranean white with elegance and complexity, yellow and white fruit and a juicy palate. It has ripe flavors and 13.5% alcohol nicely balanced by a pH of 3.41 with a pleasant bitter twist in the finish.
Bàrbara Mesquida Mora established the groundbreaking Mesquida Mora winery in Mallorca in 2012 near the town of Porreres, producing wines in the DO Plà i Llevant and VdlT Mallorca designations in the southern and eastern areas of the island. Bàrbara’s wines form a rich mosaic recalling the diversity of Mallorca varieties while also representing the history of her pioneering winemaking family, with her own unique futuristic vision.
Upon leaving behind the winery created by her pioneering great-grandfather in 1945 in Porreres, Bàrbara started her project from scratch with historic vineyards inherited from her mother. Previously, Bàrbara managed the family winery for eight years, from 2004 until 2012, and was one of Spain’s first Demeter biodynamic certifications in 2007. Bàrbara has not only been a passionate practitioner of organic and biodynamic viticulture for more than two decades; she has also introduced a regenerative agriculture approach through encouraging biodiversity within her estate vineyards. Her passion has recently taken her to plant more than one hundred fruit trees throughout her vineyards, further encouraging the biodiversity of her environment, which promotes regeneration of the soil.
The viticultural mosaic of her winery is made up of seven plots consisting of 20 hectares of vineyards which grow on calcareous clay, limestone, and cal vermell, a red clay soil rich in iron. In addition to championing native varieties such as prensal, callet, mantonegro, giró blanc, and gorgollasa, Bàrbara has retained some of the earliest French varieties originally planted in Mallorca by her mother and father more than 40 years ago. These plantings include old vine syrah, cabernet sauvignon, and chardonnay. Together, they represent a tribute to Mallorcan viticulture’s past, present, and future; living together harmoniously in Mallorca’s oldest biodynamically-farmed vineyard.
In her tiny winery, Bàrbara is a minimalist, allowing her exceptional farming to do the talking, with very little intervention. All wines spontaneously ferment with indigenous yeasts, and sulfur levels are kept to the bare minimum during production, with none added at bottling, as vintage allows.
White grapes are used in two famous types of Spanish wine, Sherry and Cava, but we will limit this discussion to still whites. Let’s begin with perhaps the best known and most highly regarded internationally, Albariño . Produced in the region of Rías Baixas, just above Portugal in northwestern Spain, Albariño typically sees no or little oak and is medium to medium-plus in body. Aroma and flavor notes often include citrus and peach, often with subtle floral notes and a suggestion of sea spray, giving the wine a zesty feel. Often bottled as a single varietal, Albariño is sometimes blended with other indigenous grapes like Loureira and Treixadura. Try one of these Spanish whites from Forjas del Salnes.
Let’s look at a few other Spanish white wines. Godello also hails from northwestern Spain and presents a profile of grapefruit, minerality and a slight smoky quality. Enjoy a bottle from Bodegas Avancia. The region of Rueda, northwest of Madrid, is home to Verdejo , which makes refreshing, un-oaked white wines whose herbal vibrancy recalls Sauvignon Blanc . Protos makes a tasty version. Up north in the Basque region, we find the wine called Txakoli (sometimes called Txakolina). Pronounced “sha-ko-LEE,” it’s made from a local grape called Hondurrabi Zuri and is light, fresh, citrusy, dry … and with razor sharp acidity that makes it a fantastic partner with local seafood and tapas. Ameztoi Gertariako is a good Spanish white wine producer to check out.
The Penedѐs region, best known for the oceans of delicious Cava it sends to the world, also produces still Spanish whites, sometimes from international varieties like Chardonnay , and often from the same grapes used for Cava. These include Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo. Avaline produces a fine example of Penedes white. Finally, we visit the Rioja region. While it is historically and internationally famous for its reds, Rioja also produces fine Spanish white wines. These are usually based on Viura (the local name for Macabeo) and make good everyday sippers, although some aged versions can be stunningly complex. A good place to start is the white Rioja from Bodegas Muga.
As you can see, Spanish white wines offer a vast opportunity for exploration!