Basa

Colour: bright straw, greenish rim;Aroma: fresh fruit, citrus fruit, wild herbs, hint of anise;Flavour: fresh, fruity, good acidity, fine bitter notes;

From my short list of can't-miss wines year in and year out comes Basa, a gift from winemaker Telmo Rodriguez to consumers. It is a medium-bodied blend of verdejo/viura from Rueda that is reminiscent of sauvignon blanc but slightly richer and less exuberantly fruity. There is plenty of mandarin, peach, melon, and spice with a juicy, tangy, chalky texture and minerality. Good value. Real wine. Basa is one of the pioneering Rodriguez wines meant to express the grape, in this case, verdejo, that has adapted to a continental climate to become a fresh and expressive Spanish white. It is also a key label in quantity produced that has enabled Telmo to go about his goal of redefining Spanish wine. The fruit comes from four villages: La Seca, Serrrada, Pozaldez, and Foncastín, and the blend is 90% verdejo and 10% viura.