Portugese whites – A breath of fresh air!

£55.00

A Mixed Case contains three bottles of each of the two wines:
Vila Nova Alvarinho 2018  –  £8.50
Vinhas do Lasso Colheita Seleccionada Branco 2016  – £8.50
Quinta do Pinto Estate Collection Branco 2016  –  £10.50

Description

Casa de Vila Nova

 

This property is owned by the Lencastre family, of aristocratic Portuguese lineage (one of their ancestors became the first Baron of Varzea do Douro in the 1800s).

This land has been in their family since the 12th century.  The estate is near the town of Penafiel, close to the eastern border of Portugal’s vinho verde wine region, around a 30 minute drive east from Oporto.

In the late 1970s the family planted vines over 12 hectares – mainly local Portuguese varieties. In 2008 Bernardo Lencastre and his brothers took over the running of the property, revitalised the vineyards and began making vinho verde and bottling their own wines – the first generation to do so. They now have around 42 hectares of vineyard.

Here, in the Entre-Douro-e-Minho sub-region of Sousa, their vineyards are influenced by winds from the Atlantic Ocean – creating the perfect climate to ripen varieties such as Alvarinho.

 

Vila Nova Alvarinho 2018
Vinho Verde
In this region, unusually, the vines are grown on high trellises, and have to be harvested by ladder.
This vinho verde is made from the Alvarinho grape, well known in Spain.  There are mouthwatering citrus aromas with hints of mandarin and on the palate there is a lovely texture, some delicious stone fruit flavours and good minerality on the finish

 

Quinta do Pinto

 

This delightful family-run property is situated in around 100 hectares, surrounding a 17th Century manor house near Merceana, in the heart of the Lisboa wine region, 60km north-east of Lisbon and just 20km from the coast.

There are 63 hectares under vine , planted with nearly two dozen grape varieties (both indigenous and international, although it is the local varieties that take priority) producing a number of different ranges including Vinhas do Lasso and Quinta do Pinto. Quinta do Pinto’s vineyards are found between the slopes (facing south and west) of the Montejunto mountain- which offers some protection from the cold Atlantic winds – and the River Tagus.

Wine produced here two centuries ago was regarded as very high quality – and worth more Pintos (the gold coin in circulation at the time) than other local wines. Pinto also was also the name of a charismatic foreman at the property, and by a happy coincidence, it is also the surname of the current owners!

The Cardoso Pinto family have five generations of winemaking and vinegrowing experience. António Cardoso Pinto fell in love with the property on his first visit, and his eldest daughter, Rita, now manages the winery along with her two siblings – Ana and Francisco.

They follow a traditional winemaking philosophy of minimal intervention and use only indigenous yeasts.

 

We’ve chosen a couple of our favourites to add to this Special Offer.

Vinhas do Lasso Colheita Seleccionada Branco 2016
Lisbon, Portugal
Made from two local grape varieties with 50% Fernao Pires & 50% Arinto, this is fermented in stainless steel to maximise the fruit flavours.
Peach and apricot aromas with citrus and floral notes abound. The palate has lovely stone fruit flavours and there is crisp acidity balancing a lightly creamy texture, finishing with gentle acidity.

Quinta do Pinto Estate Collection Branco 2016
Lisbon, Portugal
This white is a fascinating blend of indigenous and international varieties: Antao Vaz, Chardonnay and Arinto, plus Fernao Pires (10%), Marsanne (10%) and Roussanne (10%).
The gently sloping vineyards for this plot have a southern exposure and clay-limestone soils and careful canopy management is used to optimise the aromatic character of the grapes.  Only the best bunches are selected, and fermentation is carried out in stainless steel, using indigenous yeasts at controlled temperatures.
On the nose there are pretty citrus and stone fruit aromas – with some hazelnut characters.  The palate is textural and complex with ripe tropical notes balanced by citrus peel and bright acidity and good length.  A fascinating blend of Portuguese and French grape varieties!