The Apolónia wine fair is on again and, as always, there are a few great bargains to be bagged, chief among is one of my all-time favourite Portuguese white wines, Quinta da Pedra Alvarinho, reduced by 50% from €28 to €14, but as I have already written about that wine here, I will move on.
Last Sunday at the Lagoa store, one of the producers offering tastings was Pousio, an Alentejo winery located near Estremoz. I tried a few of their wines, some of which were on special offer, but it was this one which was not discounted that impressed me most, priced at €8.99.
The blend of three grapes has the typical Alentejo combination of Antão Vaz livened up with Arinto but with unusual addition of Alvarinho. The main base of the wine, however, is Antão Vaz and I learned that this “Escolha” is made from 35-year-old vines. This is quite a complex wine, fermented and aged in steel on the lees giving it considerable body.
On the nose, there are rich notes of peach and honey with a lemony overtone, juicy and creamy in the mouth with very good acidity. This 2015 is already drinking very well but a few more years of bottle-ageing will be well rewarded. I also sampled the oaked “Reserva” white from the same producer, usually priced at €10.95 with 25% off for the wine fair.
Made from the same grapes but with a higher proportion of Arinto, the oak is well integrated, and this is another excellent quality Alentejo white representing great value.
