Villa Oliveira Encruzado Dao
/Lunch time joys home laid free range egg salad & tomato chutney all matched with Villa Oliveira Branco 2012.
From 100% Encruzado grapes & produced by Casa Da Passarela in the Dão region. Hand picked from 100 year old vines it comes as no surprise that only 1449 bottles were produced. The intriguingly rich nose reminds me of a mature cheesy/hazelnutty 1er Cru white burgundy.
Fresh acidity & minerality on the pallet lift the sumptuous tropical fruits flavours of melon & passion fruit. Whereas most Encruzado is produced in stainless steel tanks the French oak maturation results in a beautiful honeyed apricot flavour.
The only negative I can see is that although complex it's lacking in finish. Encruzado, a native grape of the Dão, reminds me a lot of Vermentino & is well worth exploring.
However this particular wine isn't for everyone.
I absolutely love it but at 28€ it's it doesn't offer great value for the everyday wine drinker. It's a theoretical bottle of wine to be enjoyed & discussed with friends, true wine enthusiasts wine.
