The terraced shale vineyards of the Douro are a sight to behold. Here the vines cling to precipitous hillsides and absorb the plenitude of minerals from the vineyards’ shallow soils. Grown at nearly 2,000 feet above sea level, Quinta de Porrais’s Branco – a blend of 65- to 80-year old Códiga do Lorinho (55%) and Rabigato (45%) – bristles with energy. Pale lemon-gold in the glass, Porrais’s 2019 Branco casts smoky, mineral-inflected aromas of green pineapple, honeydew melon, acacia, and orange blossoms. Invigorating on the palate, the wine’s brisk acidity propels a juicy core of green plum, papaya, and melon fruit. Floral notes and waves of smoky shale and schistose minerals reappear to segue the Branco to its long, clean finish. This is a stunning value as an everyday sipper or as a complement to green salads, picnic fare, sauteed zucchini, oysters on the half-shell, sashimi, steamed clams, and seafood tapas.
A July 2020 newsletter selection
