Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Branco O Fugitivo em Curtimenta is an unoaked and very dry field blend (grapes like Encruzado, Uva-Cão, Bical, Terrantez, and so on) from old vines. It was aged for 12 months in used French oak and comes in at 12.6% alcohol. The important thing about this wine, however, is that "Curtimenta" designation, which references skin contact. This had contact with stems and skins for one month. As a skin-contact orange wine, it is surprisingly graceful. It has plenty of power and grip on the finish—they all do—plus a bright demeanor and succulent finish, but it is also rather elegant. This is something that you can actually drink, with the proper food pairing. It isn't just for show. It may age rather well too. Let's start here and take that in stages. Tip: This isn't a white you want to drink all that cold. It will do better closer to 60 degrees Fahrenheit than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
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.
Producing some of the country’s most dignified and mineral-driven red wines, Dão is positioned in north central Portugal where granite mountains surround and shelter the region from any Atlantic maritime influence. Summers are long and warm; winters see abundant rainfall.