2018 Palacio da Brejoeira Vinho Verde “Alvarinho”- Portugal, Minho, Vinho Verde (9/9/2020)
Wine is often about a sense of place. Sometimes this is a general feeling, and other times it is a literal place.
This bottle was a vacation purchase at a small shop in Lagos, Portugal in December 2019. What a long time ago. I asked the shopkeeper for the best representation of a Portugese white, and this was her recommendation. I schlepped it back to Indiana and tonight was the night.
I normally don’t care for Albarino as I find it overly tropical and sour, especially when it warms up. This wine was none of that. I got honeysuckle on the warm, soft nose, followed by softer stone fruits - perhaps lychee - on the palate and a gentle, sweet finish that lasted a long time. There was not a lot of acid and that was OK by me.
I’m not sure if this saw any oak, but am pretty sure it was aged on the lees. In a way, it reminded me of a light bodied, unoaked California chardonnay, but with tropical notes that lifted it higher. The last sip was straight out of the fridge and it still tasted warm and round. Other whites would have gone into hiding at that temp.
I drank this wine as a post-dinner drink with friends. You could also serve it with lightly spiced tilapia. Just go easy on the citrus. Think butter-lemon instead of lemon-butter.
A very nice wine and very nice memories. (92 pts.)
Thanks for the note. Lagos is one of my favorite places on Earth: I spent all of my childhood holidays there, and now enjoy going back on occasion (as I did this year). It’s a very different place from the rest of the Algarve.
Albariño (Spain) and Alvarinho (Portugal) are considered to be fairly different wines, despite being the exact same varietal. The funny thing is that the way that difference is described depends on who you ask.
Interesting! Your comment made want to learn more. This wine is 100% Alvarinho, which is apparently uncommon.
Here’s a note from Vinepair:
"Alvarinho in Vinho Verde is not as likely to be found in a varietal wine as it is in a blended one; the majority of Vinho Verde’s wines are blends of several grape varieties, in line with the tradition of the region. The production of Alvarinho as a single varietal wine is actually a relatively recent trend, and one that still isn’t too prevalent. Wines that are labeled with the grape variety Alvarinho can only come from one region of Vinho Verde, the northern Monção and Melegaço, which, fittingly, is located closest to Rías Baixas on the southern banks of the Minho River.
By comparison, Albariño is almost always produced as a varietal wine in Rías Baixas. In fact, when the DO was first created in 1980, it only allowed for the production of Albariño, a regulation that was amended when Spain joined the EU. Some blends are produced using some of the same white grapes found in Vinho Verde, but that’s uncommon. Rías Baixas’ winemakers’ dedication to this grape is perhaps the reason why Albariño is more closely associated with Spain than Portugal; while the grape has been grown in both regions for hundreds of years, Vinho Verde’s winemakers haven’t highlighted it in solo bottlings until recently."
Portugal is a very varied country when it comes to wine styles across regions, but if there’s one thing in common throughout those regions it’s the primacy of the blend when compared to the varietal. Although the latter has increased in prevalence throughout these past few years, the blend is still king. Portugal has a huge portfolio of native varietals, and old vineyards often contain dozens of different grapes, a lot of them unidentified. Proof of the blend’s prestige is that vintage port is a much more highly regarded wine than the single Quinta ports (ports sourced from grapes from a single estate).
Thank you for the Lagos recommendation! My favorite restaurants in town are Atlântico and Dom Vinho. Both are owned by António Matos, a veteran entrepreneur who has consistently resisted the region’s calling for quantity over quality, and who has a tremendous wine cellar to boot.
I visited in mid-December 2019, so lots of places were closed. And I was only there for 1 day, as Lagos was a stopover from Lisbon to Tarifa. I would like to go back and spend more time there. And I’d like to go to the Douro region, and Porto…
Pro tip: Algarve has crazy toll roads. You really have to be on the lookout for them and buy a scan pass at a kiosk as soon as you enter the area. Otherwise it is a real pain in the neck.
I have often heard, since I was a child, that Portugal was the inventor of the toll automatic scan, which we call Via Verde. This harks back to at least the early 90s. I have no confirmation for this, though.
The Douro is an absolutely magical place. I go quite often and it’s always thrilling. One thing anyone should do at least once in their lives is to take a boat ride, ask the captain to stop for a moment and take in the unbelievable silence. I also have fond memories of playing the violin at an ancient chapel in Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo (whose wines I happen to really like). As for Porto, it’s an utterly charming city which many people prefer to Lisbon (they’re strikingly different).
