The home of the Loureiro grape is the Vale do Lima in the Minho region of Vinho Verde in northern Portugal. While Vinho Verde is well known and appreciated for its light, lively, spritzy low alcohol wines, this wine is in a class of its own. It is elegant and polished with floral, citrusy aromas and pure, intense, lemon, green apple flavors laced with flinty mineral notes and lively, crisp acidity. The structure is lean, but the fruit is creamy and supple. Flavors linger on the palate. Vale do Lima It is also the home of the Ameal winery and vineyards. Winemaker José Luis Moreira da Silva, also known as Ze Luis, has a soft spot in his heart for Loureiro and makes this wine to be the expression of the estate. He selects grapes from every vineyard plot on the estate to capture the complexity and purity of flavors and elegance of structure. Grapes are whole-bunch pressed and fermented in temperature-controlled tanks. It spends about seven months in tanks with regular battonage for more body and complexity. Ze Luis notes while this Loureiro is ready and delicious to drink now, it has potential to age.
Esporão, Quinto do Ameal, Vinho Verde DOC (Portugal) Loureiro 2020
By Rebecca Murphy