Cuatro Rayas Dama del Lago Verdejo 2017 Rueda, Spain 75cl

Cuatro Rayas is one of the best-known names in Rueda, the high plateau in Castilla y León that has become Spain’s benchmark region for white wine. The bodega draws on a long tradition of growing Verdejo here, on stony, well-drained soils under a big continental sky.

Dama del Lago is a pure Verdejo, the grape that defines Rueda. It is made in a fresh, unoaked style that lets the variety’s natural aromatics shine, with cool fermentation preserving all its zip and lift rather than masking it with barrel.

The 2017 vintage was small but ripe across much of Spain, following a dry, warm season that concentrated flavour in the fruit, while Rueda’s cool nights helped the grapes hold on to their acidity.

In the glass it is bright and lively, pale with a green tinge. Expect zesty citrus and green orchard fruit, with the distinctive fennel and wild-herb note that marks good Verdejo, and a faintly bitter, savoury twist on the finish that keeps it moreish. It is crisp and refreshing from first sip to last.

This is a versatile, sociable white for warm-weather drinking and easy meals. Serve it well chilled with grilled fish and seafood, goat’s cheese, green salads, or simply on its own as an aperitif in the garden. If you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo offers a similar zip and freshness with its own herbal, faintly nutty character, and makes a rewarding change of pace. Drink it young, within a couple of years, to catch its aromatics at their freshest.