Winemaker Notes
Blend: 70% Antao Vaz, 30% Arinto
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The wood-aged blend of Antão Vaz and Arinto is certainly ripe, full and spicy, with great intensity. Even at three years, this impressive wine is still young. Its peppy fruit needs a little more time to calm down. This wine is very fine, despite a needlessly heavy bottle, and will be ready from 2020.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Pêra-Manca Branco is a 70/30 blend of Antão Vaz and Arinto aged for 12 months in 75% used French oak. It comes in at 13.5% alcohol. The oak treatment isn't too aggressive on paper for a long-haul wine, but it is a little prominent now. It will integrate far better with another year or two in the cellar—these can age well, so there is no real rush. Solid and concentrated in the mid-palate, this also has underlying freshness (no doubt in large part thanks to the Arinto) that keeps it lively and more interesting. Overall, this is rather pricey but very well done. It should evolve more and become more intriguing as it ages
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Wine Spectator
This medium-bodied white offers finesse to the pureed peach, honey cream and lemon curd notes, underscored by floral, mineral and saline details. Shows a hint of richness that is well-integrated into the fresh flavors. Antão Vaz and Arinto. Drink now through 2022.
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.
Responsible for a majority of Portugal’s fine wine production—and over half of the world’s cork production—Alentejo represents a major force in Portugal’s wine industry. This southern Portugese region is characterized by stretches of rolling plains and vineyards dotted with majestic cork oaks. Access to land enables the farmers of Alentejo to produce wines in great economies of scale, without compromising quality, compared to those regions to the north. The region of Alentejo indeed covers a third of the country.
Its classified (DOP) wines must come from one of eight subregions, where elevations are a bit higher, air cooler and less fertile soils are perfect for vines. The optimal regions are Portalegre, Borba, Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Granja-Amareleja, Vidigueira, Evora and Moura. Alentejo is not without the conveniences of modern winemaking as well. Irrigation supplements low rainfall and temperature control in the winery assures high quality wines.
The potential of the area has attracted many producers and its wine production continues to grow. Alentejo’s charming, fruit-forward wines have naturally led to local and global popularity.
White wines tend to be blends of Antão Vaz, Roupeiro and Arinto. However, in growing proportions, the white grapes Verdelho, Alvarinho and Viognier have been enjoying success. But red varieties actually exceed whites in Alentejo. Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Castelão grapes blend well together and are responsible for most of the Alentejo reds.