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Review:
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Missenyora is a single varietal Macabeo, impeccably made, with fermentation and ageing on its lees in oak barrels - an unpretentious white, a wine without a huge fanfare but not lacking merits either. It is balanced, refreshing, flavoursome, fruit-driven, smoothly-textured..., and with a slightly sweet touch that is worth explaining.
Years ago, in the town of Vallbona de les Monges and its vicinity, a very singular wine was made and in the process the must was brought to the boil in order to concentrate the sugars. Inspired by this tradition, the Celler L’Olivera now adds concentrated must during the production of Missenyora, although in very small amounts of around 9-10 gm/l of residual sugar, which endows the wine with that extra special sweetish element and complements its good acidity particularly well, besides making it a perfect wine for accompanying dishes with foie gras and for counteracting the bitter aspects of certain foods, the sort that are difficult to match up, such as artichokes.
Missenyora is a bright straw-yellow colour, with plenty of tears, and exhibits a delicate but intense nose, with fruit and white flower aromas, and some very subtle hints of pineapple in syrup and chalky calcareous stone. It is tasty, oily and balanced on the palate, sinewy and structured, fresh and with that light sweet quality that makes drinking it a very pleasant experience.
Its presentation couldn’t be better: a delightful bottle blue in colour, the winery’s iconic colour that recalls the ceramic pottery from the royal monastery, found when the ground was being prepared for cultivation, plus a modern, tasteful label designed by Claret Serrahima, who works in close collaboration with the winery. Missenyora is the most popular L’Olivera white, and rightly so.
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