Medium straw colored with green highlights, the wine has an excellent toasty nose, notes of vanilla and spice box, and green apple and pear aromas. Smooth-textured, ripe and lengthy, the wine is about as good as white Rioja gets.

Review

Robert Parker Review: The 2006 Allende Blanco is composed of 70% old-vine Viura and 30% old-vine Malvasia. This local form of Malvasia has nothing in common with the more pedestrian Mediterranean variety. The wine was barrel-fermented in new French oak and aged for 13 months. During the first 6 months the wine was sur lie with batonnage twice weekly. Medium straw colored with green highlights, the wine has an excellent toasty nose, notes of vanilla and spice box, and green apple and pear aromas. Smooth-textured, ripe and lengthy, the wine is about as good as white Rioja gets. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.