Tasting Notes
The story
Vinho Verde is in the cool, verdant north west of Portugal, which has a strong influence from the Atlantic ocean. The Loureiro for this wine is grown in subregion Ponte de Lima. Soils are granitic and free draining, altitude is close to sea level.
Márcio farms 5ha sustainably and also buys grapes from selected growers, that practice sustainable viticulture without the use of herbicides. The winemaking is low intervention, he ferments in small stainless steel tanks using natural yeasts, aiming to make wines with balance that reflect his terroir. The wine is then kept on fine lees for five months in stainless steel tanks before bottling with light filtration. This wine is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Read more about vinho verde in my blog.
The wine
The wine is a very pale lemon colour with a slight pink tinge to it; it looks like it has a spritz as many Vinho Verdes have but there is no fizz on the palate. It's a crisp, dry, modern style Vinho Verde and a low alcohol alternative at just 11.5%. The Loureiro grape is aromatic and produces flavours of jasmine, bayleaves, subtle apricot and lemon verbena as displayed in this lovely wine.
Food Pairing
Partners well with shellfish.
Producer's Notes
Fresh and vibrant, showing bright and clear varietal aromas - aromatic and lifted, with jasmine and lemon verbena aromas.
Awards
88 points RobertParker.com Aug 2019
"This is super, showing fine concentration for Loureiro and some zing on the finish. The total acidity easily counters the modestly elevated sugar level, leaving this rather dry. At the moment, this is lovely. It's worth leaning up just now no matter what, but I won't be surprised if it ages better than anticipated and seems better in the fall than it did in the summer."
