Pago de La Jaraba, La Jaraba DOP (La Mancha, Spain) Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Under Spanish wine law, this is a Vino de Pago, the country’s most exalted designation, reserved for wines from distinctive and exceptional sites within broader appellations.  In this case, La Mancha is the broader region, and Sauvignon Blanc is a rather unlikely variety from a sun-soaked area.  Be that as it may, the wine is convincing every year, showing excellent Sauvignon character, displaying citrus and stone fruit more than tropical characters, and with a pleasantly herbal bouquet that shows the fruit was picked carefully with a view to freshness in the finished product.  Although the brightness of the fruit and its excellent acidity ring true to the variety, with no wood intruding at all, this still seems medium-bodied and substantial on the palate, like high-end California renditions that ring up for significantly more money.  The reds from this estate are all excellent at their price points, with only the top red bearing the “Pago” designation (the others are labeled as “Viña de la Jaraba”).  Amazing value at this address, which is one to remember.