The barrel-fermented 2016 Tempranillo Blanco was produced with grapes from nine-year-old south-facing vines and fermented in French oak barrels, where the wine matured in contact with the lees for five months. It had nicely integrated oak in the shape of faint spices and a fruit-driven character, with good freshness. It has good volume and acidity. 13,450 bottles were filled in April 2017.

This year I saw more Tempranillo Blanco produced, among them the one from Rioja Vega. The 2015 Rioja Vega Tempranillo Blanco fermented in French oak barrels where the wine matured in contact with the lees for six months. It's quite oaky and ripe, and doesn't reveal much of the grape character save for fresh acidity. It's a wine that I'd like to see with a couple of years of bottle aging to see how it develops. Right now, it's quite shy even if impeccably made, clean and focused. But I have the feeling there might be more to it... 6,850 bottle produced.

Crisp acidity supports a broad texture in this spicy white. Apple, citrus and ginger flavors mingle with toasty and briny notes. On the savory side. Drink now through 2020. 650 cases made, 100 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Rioja Select to Add

Notes of blanched almond and rose water give this broad white a traditional character, but the apple and pear flavors, complemented by a touch of toasted vanilla, are fresh and clean. Harmonious, with good depth. Drink now through 2018. 360 cases made.??–TM??Region: Spain / Rioja Select to Add

Rioja Vega has one of the very few whites produced with the mutation of Tempranillo, the 2013 Rioja Vega Tempranillo Blanco. Unfortunately the wine seems to be barrel fermented and possibly aged with lees. The character of the oak and the élevage partly hide the characteristics of the grapes as the wine shows aromas of smoke, vanilla and even sawdust with a core of yellow fruit. The palate is commercial and has spicy/smoky flavors, good volume and good freshness, but not much character of the grape. A good white, but impossible to guess (or even see it knowing what it is) the grape. Still, it's very good and highly recommended. Perhaps in a couple of years? 4,000 bottles produced.