If you read my column regularly, you may well have noticed that I rarely talk about Alentejo wines.
This is because I honestly find there are more interesting wines coming out of other regions, but I actually have nothing against the Alentejo and there are some outstanding producers that can stand head-to-head with the best Portugal has to offer.
One such producer is Herdade do Sobroso, a huge estate located close to the Spanish border on the banks of the Guadiana River near the Alqueva Dam.
Winemakers Filipe Teixeira Pinto and Luís Duarte produce a wide range of wines, including their premium label “Arché”.
One of their brands is the “Cellar Selection”, which includes an excellent oaked rosé and which, like this white, makes subtle use of oak, ageing for six months in used 500 litre casks. This wine is an unusual blend of Antão Vaz (the grape that constitutes the backbone of most Alentejo whites) and Alvarinho. The oak ageing has given the wine structure and complexity but is not noticeable on the nose or on the palate.
Tropical fruit and mineral notes come to the front, with good acidity and body in the mouth. This is a white that will reward cellaring for a good few years, but this 2021 vintage is already drinking very well indeed.
On special offer at Apolónia until November 16, reduced by 20% from €22.95 to €17.95
