Ojo y Coíllo Río Frío Alto 2023

Vintage: 2023 

Region: Montilla, Córdoba, Andalucía 

Grapes: Pedro Ximénez 100% 

ABV: 13.3% 

Agriculture: Organic, old bush vines (60–80 years), 550m elevation, south-west facing. Soil too poor for cover crops; cow and goat manure spread instead. Harvest at 3–4am in mid-August. 

Vinification: Fermented and aged in old Fino barrels. Lees contact for several months; lees then removed and wine aged in barrel for one further year. Racked to stainless steel for one month before bottling. No racking, no batonnage. Low SO₂. 

Tasting notes: Greenish-gold with an intense nose of white flowers, citrus, chalk, and yeast. On the palate it's fresh, saline, and beautifully balanced, with a bitter, sapid finish and a texture somewhere between Chardonnay richness and cold stone — nutty and creamy, but razor-fresh. Walnuts and hazelnuts linger at the end alongside a persistent, mouthwatering saltiness.

Volume: 750ml

Río Frío is named for the river that runs alongside the parcel. This plot sits at 550 metres with a southwest exposure, and the combination of altitude, chalky albariza soil, and the Ojo y Coíllo pruning style (a method unique to Montilla, where each vine branch is given two years before 50% is cut back) gives this wine its particular tension. Greenish-gold in the glass with an intense, layered nose of white flowers, citrus, chalk, and yeast. The palate is fresh, saline, and balanced, with a bitter, sapid finish and a texture that calls to mind Chardonnay. Nutty and rich, but still razor-fresh. A little like drinking cold stone.