Vinha Maria Reserva White

Vinha Maria Reserva White is a fantastic, complex yet approachable white from the wonderful Dao region in Portugal. Dao is known for producing high quality whites due to its proximity to the Estrela, Caramulo and Bussaco mountains. The wines here are great to drink on your own but also are extremely good for food pairing.

The name of this wine doesn't give much away, so I'll break it down:

Vinha Maria is the name of the wine. It is produced by Cabriz, a relatively young winery that was established in 1990.

Dao Doc is the region (as previously stated)

Reserva means that the winery believe this is one of their more premium wines.

Which Grapes Are In This Wine?

Like many typical wines of Portugal, this wine is a blend of grapes that all bring distinct qualities to the wine. The grapes used are called Encruzado, Bical and Malvasia-Fina. Never heard of them? Don't worry, Portugal use a lot of indigenous grapes that aren't commonly planted anywhere else.

TASTING NOTES:

It has pronounced floral aromas that are complimented with stone fruit and citrus notes. The wine has really great structure and a nice weighty mouthfeel. This is due to the grapes used and the fact that parts of this wine were aged in oak and were subject to battonage/stirring. Upon taste you're hit with the stone and citrus fruit flavours with some pineapple on the nose too. There's acidity in this wine is wonderfully balanced, making it perfect to pair with food.