The Connoisseur - May 2024
We’re teasing your beach vibes this month with some sunshine-friendly wines. If you’re not already in the mood, here’s our advice: a linguine al vongole, a mushroom pizza, a sole meuniere (it’s not as hard as you think!) or just a roast chicken from the local churrasqueira.
Wine descriptions below, and if you run out, you can order more from The Cellar.
Don’t forget, you can look up past boxes in The Archive.
Dona Paterna, Alvarinho
[grape/vintage] Alvarinho / 2022
[region] Vinho Verde
What a humble looking wine. A simple label, nothing fancy, no hip design. You’d hardly notice it on the shelf. But wow, what a wine inside. Winner of a Silver Medal at San Francisco’s Sommelier Choice Awards in 2023 (chosen out of 1,200 wines!). Crisp and delicate and floral with yummy minerality and saltiness. The Fellas could swim in this. We could fill baptismal fonts with it. We could build pyramids of wine glasses and create beautiful cascades of Alvarinho with it. It makes us want to sing and dance!
Our sommelier describes it thus: A classic. A wine full of delicacy, freshness and minerality. On the palette, white fruits, citrus, saline tones and flowers. Nice long finish.
Pairs well with itself at happy hour as an aperitif, or riding tandem with any seafood or fish dish, or could work great with a tangy or sweet dish like a chicken picata or taco al pastor.
Vinho Verde is known for its light, refreshing wines, known for their low alcohol content and slight effervescence. The soil is predominantly granite, which helps to retain moisture and gives the wines a unique minerality.
Check it out in The Cellar.
Casa Américo, Encruzado
[grape/vintage] Encruzado / 2021
[region] Dão
Mmmmmm. Smooth and round as a river rock. Crisp and fresh as a blast of mountain air from the slopes of the Serra da Estrella. Deep and complex as a Zen koan. This is a classic Encruzado…expressive and delicate, balanced and opinionated.
Our sommelier’s thoughts: Lemon yellow color with hints of green. A delicate aroma with notes of white fruits and citrus peel. Creamy on the mouth, with a vibrant acidity and a long, mineral finish.
We suggest pairing this with fish and seafood, a rich tuna steak, or maybe something South Asian like coconut shrimp, or stay close to the source with the Portuguese classic bacalhau com natas.
The Dão region, in the center of Portugal, is known for elegant, complex and full-bodied wines, with exceptional acidity and aging potential. The region’s vineyards are planted on granite hillsides, and the soil is predominantly sandy and well-drained.
Check it out in The Cellar.
Musgo, Touriga Nacional
[grape/vintage] Touriga Nacional / 2022
[region] Dão
The heat of mid-summer lives in this juicy, old-style baga, a heat that speaks of long naps under cork trees with that lovely woozy post-lunch feeling. They made this wine with as little intervention as possible, vinifying it in open “lagares”, allowing fermentation to happen spontaneously over a week or so, then letting it sleep happily in oak barrels for 10 months. Drink it the same way: relaxed, slowly and with no plans for using heavy machinery.
Our sommelier has this to say about it: Deep ruby colour, with a well-balanced nose, elegant with matching notes of red fruits and spices with hints of pine resin. On the mouth the red fruits come to the fore in a well-balanced body with a long, smooth finish thanks to its 18 months in oak.
Pairs well with grilled prime red meats like a juicy picanha or t-bone, or a hearty game stew.
The Dão region, in the center of Portugal, is known for elegant, complex and full-bodied wines, with exceptional acidity and aging potential. The region’s vineyards are planted on granite hillsides, and the soil is predominantly sandy and well-drained.
Check it out in The Cellar.