Quinta Dos Carvalhais Dao Vinho Branco Reserva 2020  £26.12

QUINTA DOS CARVALHAIS DAO VINHO BRANCO RESERVA 

Quinta dos Carvalhais is a beautiful property in the Mangualde commune of the Dão region. Purchased in 1988 by the Guedes family, a huge amount of investment has gone into the estate, which combines the most up-to-date techniques with extensive experience of traditional winemaking practices, resulting in wines with great elegance and personality. In addition to investing in their own vineyards, Quinta dos Carvalhais has also been instrumental in defending the interests of local winegrowers and revolutionising viticulture in the Dão region. Today, winemaker Beatriz Cabral de Almeida makes a very impressive range of blends and single-varietal wines from the estate vineyards.

This 105 hectare property, which today has 50 hectares under vine, was purchased by the Guedes family in 1988. The vineyards were planted on poor granite soils with indigenous Dão varieties (Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro, Jaen and Tinta Pinheira for reds and Encruzado, Assario, Verdelho, Bical and Cerceal for whites), and the modern winery was built soon afterwards. Today, winemaker Beatriz Cabral de Almeida makes an increasingly impressive range of wines from estate vineyards, which are situated at an altitude of 465-500 metres above sea level.

The grapes arrived at the winery in 20kg batches, and were immediately unloaded into a pneumatic press where the juice was extracted. After a 24-hour period of cold settling, the must was racked off the gross lees and then transferred into temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, where it underwent fermentation at 16ºC for 20 days. In keeping with the old Dão traditions, the white wine underwent an extended period of ageing in used 225 litre French oak barrels, for around 30 months.

This wine is bright straw-yellow in colour and has buttery aromas from the oak ageing with hints of honey and citrus. Herbaceous and mineral notes add freshness and complexity to the wine. On the palate, there is an aromatic complexity from the time in oak barrels which also adds a polished smoothness to the fruit character. The finish is long and elegant.