2023 QUINTA DE SAES RESERVA BRANCO

TRY ME IF YOU LOVE: Oaked Chardonnay

ABV: 13.0%

GRAPES: Cercial-Branco, Bical, Encruzado

TASTING NOTES: A zesty, mouth-filling white. The palate has a creamy, lemon yoghurt-like character, with hints of fresh bread, lemon peel and a saline finish.

PAIRS WITH: Salads, sushi and fish in general.

SERVE ME: Chilled

Alvaro de Castro, a self-trained winemaker, is a pioneer of quality estate wine growing and leading light in the Dão region of Portugal. Inheriting vineyards in 1980, today he owns three estates in the Dão’s Serra da Estrela sub-region - Quintas de Saes, Pellada and Outeiro. Castro was joined by his daughter Maria Castro in 2000, who now oversees winemaking and the vineyards, which have been cultivated without chemicals for years. Totalling around 60ha, the vines are aged between 3 and 65 years and sit at an average altitude of 550m. The traditional grape varieties – Encruzado, Cercial, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Jaen, Alfrocheiro, Baga - are planted on granite soil with sand, clay and quartz. Terroir-driven, very pure, even Castro’s entry level wines brim with character.