Vinhos Portugueses

This 3 pack contains one bottle of each of the following wines:

2021 João Tavares de Pina Rufia Branco
Penalva do Castelo, Portugal
Dão DOC

The Rufia Branco encompasses Encruzado, Cerceal, Malvasia, Bical and Arinto, aged for 8 months on the skins. Slightly tannic with a surprising note of celery salt on the nose, high acidity, refreshing, lots of apples and Asian pear aromatics too. There's a little apricot and some pleasant herbaceous aromas too. Complex but very inviting, a winning combination and a cool expression of what natural wines from Portugal are capable of. Perfect to drink with raw fish preparations, risotto with seafood, warm fish appetizers and light veggie pastas. We'd say sushi is kind of a slam dunk pairing here.

2019 Quinta do Lagar Novo Viognier Reserva
Lisbon, Portugal
Alenquer DOC

As with Quinta do Lagar's other single varietal bottlings, fermentation of the Viognier occurs with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats - a move that preserves the freshness and acidity of the wine - while the final fermentation takes place in used oak barrels, for about 10 months. Viognier at its best is aromatically pleasing with richness and body to accompany the fruity elements. The flavours are intense with ripe apricot, pineapple and a hint of lychee accompanying a dried flower characteristic. There's some citrus ahead of the persistent finish and enough acidity to compel a heavy pour into your glass. 

2021 João Tavares de Pina Tretas
Penalva do Castelo, Portugal
Dão DOC

A silky, high-acid red made from a blend of young-vines Jaen (aka Mencia), Rufete and Touriga Nacional that macerates on skins for 4 days before a 6 month stay in inox. This wine is the very essence of Portuguese glou glou and Tretas, which means nonsense in Portuguese slang (well, actually, it means bull$#!%), is so crushable and so quaffable it makes you question the entirety of your understanding of Portuguese wines. Give it a light chill - maybe 15-20 minutes in the fridge - before diving in.