Portugal
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Portugal produces two of the wine world's most distinctive styles: the brisk, low-alcohol whites of Vinho Verde in the northwest and the fortified Ports of the Douro Valley. Vinho Verde's cool, rain-fed Atlantic climate and granite soils define the Loureiro-driven character seen in Ameal's single-varietal bottling and the Alvarinho-blended Quinta de Azevedo Reserva. Port ranges from the nutty, oxidative complexity of extended barrel-aged Tawnies to the structured fruit of declared vintage bottlings. Graham's 10 and 20 Year Old Tawnies illustrate how extended cask aging deepens color and concentrates dried-fruit character, while Rozes' Over 40 Years Old represents the furthest expression of that oxidative style. Cockburn's 2017 Vintage Port, drawn from a single declared year, stands among the more age-worthy bottles in this Portuguese range.
Description
Portugal produces two of the wine world's most distinctive styles: the brisk, low-alcohol whites of Vinho Verde in the northwest and the fortified Ports of the Douro Valley. Vinho Verde's cool, rain-fed Atlantic climate and granite soils define the Loureiro-driven character seen in Ameal's single-varietal bottling and the Alvarinho-blended Quinta de Azevedo Reserva. Port ranges from the nutty, oxidative complexity of extended barrel-aged Tawnies to the structured fruit of declared vintage bottlings. Graham's 10 and 20 Year Old Tawnies illustrate how extended cask aging deepens color and concentrates dried-fruit character, while Rozes' Over 40 Years Old represents the furthest expression of that oxidative style. Cockburn's 2017 Vintage Port, drawn from a single declared year, stands among the more age-worthy bottles in this Portuguese range.
