POWQDF01
£21.50
The Symington family may be better known for their Port houses and Douro vineyards (Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s and Cockburn’s are perhaps their most recognised labels) but latterly they have expanded their interests south of the Douro and this gorgeous white from Alentejo offers all the evidence one needs that they have not been wasting their time. Arinto has the reputation of being the country’s finest white grape and it forms 75% of the blend here alongside Verdelho. Barrel fermented before ageing for 7 months in cask this is a pretty serious style of white with a real richness and intensity.
£9.95
Aromas of ripe bramble fruit, plum and a touch of spice. Generous on the palate with fresh red cherry and blackberry leaf characters - supple tannins give structure, all rounded off with a touch of spice on the juicy finish.
£18.65
£15.75
£23.95
Luis Seabra may be a new name on the Portuguese wine scene, but he has already had a hand in crafting some of the Douro’s most exciting wines, working as Dirk Niepoort’s right-hand man from 2004 until leaving to set up his own label in 2012. He is starting small, releasing two whites and one red, with a total production of just 5,000 bottles per wine. Winemaking is minimal-intervention, and the style very much reflects the concentration of care lavished by this experienced winemaker on his tiny output.
A bright, lifted palate shows flavours of freshly picked nectarines, peaches and pears, all against a complex backdrop of wet stones, chalk. Graceful and powerful all at once, with a salty, savoury complexity and a compellingly chewy texture which runs through to the lengthy finish