I am extremely excited about the wines from Portugal. There is so much good wine, and so many new regions, and varietals to explore. I know that this dates me, but it really reminds me of what was happening in Italy in the late ‘90s and early 00’s, except that in Portugal they winemakers have 20-30 years of knowledge and expertise that didn’t exist back then. The Vimioso Branco is a perfect example of this. This comes from the Tejo region; it is not a region that most wine drinkers have heard of. It is a blend of Arinto, Fernao Pires, and Verdelho again, a bunch of new names for most people except for those who have already started exploring the wines from Portugal. New names hopefully translate into new experiences and that is just what this wine does. It has a moderately aromatic nose, it starts off with the usual suspects of white wine, apple, pear, citrus, with a little bit of lemon curd and then some faint wet rocks in the background. With a little time, the fruit characters darken, it takes a subtle exotic twist, with a new layer of intriguing aromas, that suggest herbs, and flowers, and green leaves, and more crushed stones. The palate is a surprise. The flavors steer more towards heirloom apples and citrus zest than anything exotic. The surprise comes from the body of the wine, not the flavors. This is a medium bodied wine with 12.5% alcohol, but it feels fuller and much more intense than you would expect. But that is the fun part, what were we expecting? We don’t know any of the major players in this game, that is why this is so much fun! It gets even better, there is a surprising amount of intensity and persistence to this wine, especially when it comes to this price point, something that I have been hesitant to bring up. This wine is an incredible value. The fruit and exotic floral, herbal tone linger over that wet stone minerality on the crisp, mouthwatering finish. This wine has elements that will appeal to most wine drinkers; there is good fruit, crisp acidy, intensity, minerality and most importantly it has its own unique character. This is after all a wine made from unfamiliar grapes grown in an unfamiliar territory. It is delicious and it not only wets the appetite for a meal but for discovering more of what Portugal has to offer.
