Portillo Sauvignon Blanc 2013
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Serve as an aperitif or with seafood, salads, pizza, sushi and white meats.
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2023-
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Portillo is a collection of easy-to-drink, fresh and fruit-forward wines from Argentina with uncommon quality and concentration that are ideal for every day enjoyment. Grown at the foot of the majestic, snow-covered Andes in the Uco Valley of Argentina's Mendoza winemaking region, Portillo brings a remarkable collection of wines grown at some of the highest elevations on the planet. At this altitude, the sun is closer, the nights cooler, and the vineyards are irrigated by melted glacier water from the Andes.
The name “Portillo”, Spanish for ‘gateway’ or ‘portal’, was inspired by a high elevation mountain pass in the Andes Mountains, which opens a path to the vineyards. The state-of-the-art winery is largely built with local materials, including stones quarried from a nearby valley, enabling the facility to better blend into the surrounding environment. Built on three levels, with much of the facility concealed below ground, Portillo is also notable for its employment of a gravity-flow system. This minimizes handling of grapes and helps protect the integrity of the fruit.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
With vineyards tretching along the eastern side of the Andes Mountains from Patagonia in the south to Salta in the north, Argentina is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic wine producing countries—and most important in South America.
Since the late 20th century vineyard investments, improved winery technology and a commitment to innovation have all contributed to the country’s burgeoning image as a producer of great wines at all price points. The climate here is diverse but generally continental and agreeable, with hot, dry summers and cold snowy winters—a positive, as snow melt from the Andes Mountains is used heavily to irrigate vineyards. Grapes very rarely have any difficulty achieving full ripeness.
Argentina’s famous Mendoza region, responsible for more than 70% of Argentina’s wine production, is further divided into several sub-regions, with Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley most noteworthy. Red wines dominate here, especially Malbec, the country’s star variety, while Chardonnay is the most successful white.
The province of San Juan is best known for blends of Bonarda and Syrah. Torrontés is a specialty of the La Rioja and Salta regions, the latter of which is also responsible for excellent Malbecs grown at very high elevation.