Muxagat Branco 2008
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Ripe lime aromas and a full richly fruity palate give a rounded character to this wine. Apricot juice and tangerine brighten up the palate, fitting well with the wood and fruit structure. Keep for another few months for the whole wine to fill out even more.
The winemaking responsibilities belong to Mateus Nicolau de Almeida. The vineyards are situated in the Douro Superior section of the Douro Valley, in the northwest of Portugal near the Spanish border, which is famous for its Port wine. The soil is made of schist and the climate conditions allow for very low yields, around 2.2 tons per acre. The vineyard is planted in terraces with the vines and average age of 40 years old for the white, and ten for the red. The grape varieties are indigenous to Portugal; the white grapes are mainly Rabigato, while Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão and Tinto Roriz make up the reds.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.