Muchada-Leclapart Univers 2017 (750ML)

90 WA / 16 JR

The white 2017 Univers is pure Palomino from 20-year-old vines that are organically and biodynamically farmed in the La Platera vineyard in Pago Miraflores in Sanlúcar on albariza soils This is their entry-level Palomino from the California clone, from a single vineyard and bottled after nine months in contact with the lees, which represents quite well what they want to do: dry, unfortified whites that are fresh, salty and tasty, very different from what people are used to from Jerez. They do not really like fortified wines, but some are fermented in sherry casks, from which they might get some of the sherry character, but not this one. They do not want to call themselves "natural" or anything, but they try to do the wines in the most natural way possible without deviations, off aromas or volatility. This is clean and with a mixture of floral and fruit aromas, citrus hints and a yeasty twist. The palate is light and quite fresh (2017 was a very warm year), very tasty and long, and with the umami, almost salty, touch in the finish. The bottle of the 2016 I tasted for background and reference was quite different and showed more oxidative and advanced. 6,000 bottles were filled in May 2018.

Muchada-Léclapart is one of the most talked-about new projects in the Jerez region, as it gets together Spaniard Alejandro Muchada—who, together with the guys from Mahara and Fernando Angulo, was part of Alba Viticultores in Jerez, one of the seminal projects in the zone—and Champagne superstar David Léclapart. Even though Alba and, of course, Léclapart are known for their sparkling wines, they are producing only still white wines, at least for now. - Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate

100% Palomino Fino. From the young vines on 0.5 ha of this La Platera plot in Miraflores, and wine aged in tank.

Really pungent, urgent nose. Very much more of an unfortified, unadorned white varietal wine than the 2018 Lumière. Less complex. Good green-fruited edge to this but it's fairly simple and straightforward, even if not exactly like anything else. Some density even if the flavours are simpler than the 2018 Lumière. Refreshing, with more substance and length than most tank-aged whites. Bone dry. - Jancis Robinson