Conceito Contraste White 2017

  • 89 Robert
    Parker
  • 89 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 89 Wine
    Spectator
4.0 Very Good (41)
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Conceito Contraste White 2017  Front Bottle Shot
Conceito Contraste White 2017  Front Bottle Shot Conceito Contraste White 2017  Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2017

Size
750ML

ABV
13.3%

Your Rating

0.0 Not For Me NaN/NaN/N

Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

Granite soils. Made from a 10 years old vineyard in a small granite plateau (600 m above sea level) in the parish of Freixo de Numão, 15 km to the West of Foz Côa.

Professional Ratings

  • 89
    The 2017 Contraste Branco is a blend of traditional white grapes like Rabigato, Códega, Códega do Larinho and Arinto from mostly 20-year-old vines at 600 meters, all co-fermented (wild ferment) in a 70/30 mixture of stainless steel and new French oak for eight months. It comes in at 13.3% alcohol. This second wine has become a nice value and consistent overachiever. In a vintage that had its fair share of difficulties, how does it do this year? Granting that they are not all side by side, this year seems relatively rich for this level. It feels full in the mouth. However, it is harder to find the zing and zest I often see. It isn't too far off of the 2016 in style, but it particularly leans to emphasizing fruitiness and roundness as opposed to crispness and precision. It's pretty ripe this year. There are no herbaceous nuances. Overall, this has many merits. I won't be surprised if many prefer this incarnation, but I would've liked just a bit more focus and energy. It is still very good.
  • 89
    Spicy and herbal, this wine comes from a field blend of obviously old varietals. Flavors of thyme, rosemary and lemon juice give it a fresh, textured character. It is a wine to savor in a few months, so drink from summer 2019.
  • 89
    A flinty, herb-tinged undertone carries through the creamy apple, peach and lemon notes of this supple, medium-bodied white, with floral, honeysuckle and baking spice details emerging on the finish. Drink now through 2022.

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  • 90 Wine
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Conceito

Conceito Vinhos

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Conceito Vinhos, Portugal
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The way that Conceito Vinhos conceives of the wine, the deep understanding of their region, is the starting point for the project–inspiration for their story. Hence the Brand (Conceito = Concept). Port wine has monopolized wine production there since the 18th Century, producing a landscape of extraordinary beauty. But only recently people become aware of the tremendous potential of the eastern Douro.

Firstly, with the opening up of better access routes; and then with the table wine revolution. It has largely been this latter factor that has opened the way to a universe of specificities along the river course, a huge valley that can no longer be seen and cultivated as a uniform and undifferentiated whole. The wine will inevitably come to exhibit its various “terroirs”. Understanding them, working properly their widely differing altitudes, soils and microclimates is a journey from which there is no turning back, and one upon which Conceito Vinhos wholeheartedly embark. In search of the freshness and balance of terrain. That is the Concept!

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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.

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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.

TXACTCTWT17_2017 Item# 564644

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