# Finca La Nevera Blanco (2020)

- **Producer:** Bodegas Nivarius
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Maturana Blanca
- **Region:** Rioja, Spain
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €27
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 9–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, peach, apricot, lemon, fennel, white pepper, toast, butter, kerosene

## About this wine

Bodegas Nivarius, situated in the cool Upper Iregua Valley of DOCa Rioja, is the first winery in the region dedicated exclusively to high-end white wines. The winery's name stems from the Latin word for icebox, acknowledging the snow-capped peaks above the estate. Finca La Nevera is named after an ancient stone snow-house located on the single-plot vineyard, which sits at elevations up to 750 meters. The estate plays a pioneering role in preserving and recovering indigenous white varieties, most notably Maturana Blanca, the oldest recorded grape variety in Rioja.

## Interesting facts

- Bodegas Nivarius is the very first winery in DOCa Rioja dedicated solely to producing white wines.
- Finca La Nevera is named after an ancient stone icehouse on the plot where snow was stored historically.
- Maturana Blanca is Rioja's oldest documented grape variety, first recorded in historical texts in 1622.
- The wine spends an extraordinary 36 months aging on fine lees to gain its distinctive rich texture.

## Food pairing

This vibrant white combines high, laser-like acidity with impressive mouth-coating body from three years of fine lees aging. It demands rich seafood, oily fish, white meat, or savory rice dishes where its vertical freshness cuts through richness while its broad texture matches substantial proteins.

## Wine making process

Harvested entirely by hand from the 4.3-hectare Finca La Nevera plot, the Maturana Blanca grapes undergo whole-cluster pressing without destemming under protective, oxygen-free conditions to retain fresh aromatic potential. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts in large French oak vats. Following fermentation, the wine is aged on its fine lees for 36 months in stainless steel tanks, accompanied by regular lees stirring (bâtonnage) to build texture and complexity while minimizing the need for added sulfur.