A new high-end Spanish white

Storks' Tower is an innovative new project from Spanish wine company Barcelo, who are behind the Cosme Palacio and Glorioso Rioja wines. Three impressive Storks' Tower wines are already listed in Tesco (£6.99 each, with promotion down to £4.99) - a crisp white, an attractive rose and a nicely defined red. But they are also making some more serious wines under the brand 'Triunfo', and this is the white, not yet stocked in the UK. Sam Harrop MW consults here.

Stork's Tower 'Triunfo' Verdejo Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon, Spain
A really interesting wine. It's barrel fermented, but rather than being an oaky monster, this is complex, fresh and minerally. The nose shows tight nutty, herby, citrus pith aromas that are joined on the palate by complex grassy, herbal, citrussy notes. There's good concentration, but the overall effect is one of a very fresh, focused, minerally wine with nice textural elements and good acidity, rather than something 'big'. There's a hint of tangerine on the finish, too. Highly food compatible, with potential for further development. 90/100 (expected retail will be c. £14 in the UK)