Juan Gil, Shaya Verdejo, 2020

Region: Rueda, Spain

Vintage: 2020

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Verdejo

ABV: 13.5%

Notes: Vegetarian, Vegan

Rich and complex on the palate, this aromatic Spanish white layers toasted spice on top of marzipan, all underlaid with a layer of juicy yellow peaches.

The spice and ripe fruits make it an ideal match for Thai and Japanese cuisine too. For a vegetarian option, serve with vegetable risotto or light, vegetable based pasta dishes.

Shaya was the realisation of Miguel Gil's dream to make authentic Verdejo wines from authentic vines. As such he set out in search of the finest pre-phylloxera vineyards he could. In 2008 he made the first vintage but still didn't have a name. Just at that moment a local wildlife centre had rescued a small deer and named it Shaya. Just as the rescue centre saw something worth saving in the striking deer, Miguel had seen the same in these old forgotten vineyards and as such, the name was born. The grapes come from 30.5 hectares of low-yielding, ancient pre-phylloxera Verdejo vines located to the west of Segovia. They are planted in sandy soils covered with alluvial pebbles.

As you would expect for such a modern project, the winemaking is state of the art, combining modern techniques with traditional practices to create wines of purity and terrior. Fermentation occurs in this wine in a temperature controlled environment in stainless steel tanks. 30% of the wine is barrel fermented in French oak barriques. Batonnage is undertaken to increase texture and add depth of flavour.