My top 20: Portugal’s exciting Atlantic whites Sarah Ahmed
From tiny Colares and Palmela up along the Iberian west coast into world-renowned Vinho Verde, and out to the islands of Madeira and the windswept Azores, Sarah Ahmed takes a tour of Portugal’s Atlantic-influenced wine regions, selecting fresh, characterf
As Portugal’s white wines have risen to prominence, so have her Atlantic-facing regions. The best wines deliver remarkable intensity and character, with the (acid) backbone for ageing; sometimes a salty sea tang. Unobtrusive oak use – if any – with lees ageing for mouthfeel, lets the ocean hold sway.
Atlantic exposure was key to my selection, in locations not more than 20km from the ocean, making the wind and wave-whipped Azores and Madeira islands an obvious starting point. A flurry of activity in the last decade has produced salty, piquant, mineral wines from volcanic soils, whose influence John Szabo MS, author of Volcanic Wines, evocatively describes as imparting ‘a weightless gravity’. Verdelho, with its tropical citrus and succulent nuances, is king in Madeira and, in the Azores, in Biscoitos and Graciosa but not in Pico, where it shares the turf with Arinto dos Açores (citric/stonefruited) and Terrantez do Pico (savoury).
On the continent, Portugal’s west coast takes the brunt of the Atlantic ocean’s swells and storms (unlike the Algarve’s sheltered, Mediterranean-influenced southern coastline). This 675km stretch, a hotch-potch of grapes and terroirs, traverses Vinho Verde, Bairrada, Lisboa, Península de Setúbal, Alentejo and the Algarve.
Latitude inevitably impacts on style, with milder weather and higher rainfall in northernmost Vinho Verde. Milder and higher still for those sub-regions directly exposed to the Atlantic, which typically make simple, light, fragrant wines. Site selection is critical for premium wines.
In the middle, a climatic sweet spot, the maritime-influenced chalky clay vineyards of Bairrada and Lisboa produce lovely finesse, balance and minerality (including some of Portugal’s best traditional-method fizz in cooler Bairrada). Grape varieties Bical and Maria Gomes (aka Lisboa’s Fernão Pires) major in Bairrada, the former typically stone-fruited, the latter introducing citric and herbal notes.
Well structured, they reward ageing. In warmer Lisboa, Fernão Pires tends towards rounder, vegetal characters.
Star variety Arinto brings backbone, ramping up the citrus/freshness factor in blends and showing great verve solo, notably in its heartland, Bucelas DOC. Styles range from lemony to stone- and tropical-fruited, the acidity always persistent. Much rarer is Vital – my top-scorer ( Casal Figuera, right) is as much a showcase for the exposed limestonestrewn slopes of the Serra de Montejunto.
In Sintra, spitting distance from the ocean, Malvasia de Colares thrives, producing iodineand salt-flecked wines. Austere, ageworthy examples hail from ungrafted vines on sand in Colares DOC; new plantings from Lisboa VR’s chalky clay have flesh on the bones.
With a sunnier and drier climate further south, especially on Península de Setúbal’s heat-soaked sands, the wines are generally richer and riper. However, proximity to the ocean, together with old vines (Horácio Simões, see p61), moisture-retentive soils (Herdade do Cebolal, p60), or even ageing wines in the ocean at Quinta Brejinho da Costa, all lend backbone and persistence.
Finally, the surprisingly fine-framed and saline Alvarinhos and Sauvignon Blancs from the Costa Vicentina in Alentejo are the epitome of Atlantic influence. Contained within a narrow coastal strip by a range of hills, the cool, humid conditions here, plus ocean breezes and fogs, bring summer temperatures down by 10°C, according to Anna Jorgensen of Cortes de Cima. www. thewinedetective.co.uk
‘The maritime-influenced, chalky clay vineyards of Bairrada and Lisboa produce lovely finesse, balance and minerality’
Quinta das Bágeiras, Grande Reserva Bruto Natural Espumante, Bairrada 2015
93
£29.10
Portugal Vineyards
A 60:40 blend of Maria Gomes (Fernão Pires) and Bical, picked and disgorged later than most (48 months on lees), for a rich, complex, vinous style. A chalky, slightly smoky nose and palate, with yeasty lift, juicy bruised apple, pithy, grapefruity acidity and notes of creamy almond paste. Soft, but persistent mousse. Drink 2020-2030 Alcohol 13%
Adega do Vulcão, Ameixâmbar Arinto dos Açores, Azores 2018
93
N/A UK
www. adegadovulcao.com
From a vineyard planted in 2015, 400m from the ocean, on the basalt lava bed and ash of Capelinhos volcano, Faial island, which erupted in 1957-1958. Made from the Arinto dos Açores grape with 10% Terrantez do Pico, this bone-dry, textural maiden release shimmers with salty minerality. Slow burn, lingering delivery. Drink 2020-2025 Alc 13%
Anselmo Mendes, Magma Verdelho, Biscoitos 2018
92 £27.50
Clark Foyster
From Terceira island, this is lemony with rounder white peach, reflecting the drier year. Aged five months on fine lees with bâtonnage. Persistent acidity and gentle, pillowy lees – savoury, mouthcoating and briny – bring texture and length. Lovely intensity. Drink 2020-2025 Alc 12.5%
Ilha do Pico, Frei Gigante, Pico, Azores 2018
92
£23.95-£26
Bar Douro, Butlers Wine Cellar, Noble Green,
The Fine Wine Co, Vinoteca
Pronounced saline to the nose and palate of this Arinto dos Açores and Verdelho blend. From a dry year, with healthy fruit, it reveals layers of bruised apple and bitter apricot kernel, cut with grapefruity acidity. Quinine and salty undertows heighten perceptions of dryness and minerality. Drink 2020-2025 Alc 13%