First taste: two tip top whites from Casa da Passarella

On the plinth: Casa da Passarella Villa Oliveira Superior 2012

Facebook is hugely popular in Portugal.  Recently, I’ve noticed a steady trickle of Portuguese producers entering the Twitter-sphere.  Today’s post is the result of a Twitter golden nugget tossed my way by Mark Squires of The Wine Advocate, so it’s a good place to hang out!  In an exchange about Casa da Passarella, he flagged the existence of an as yet unreleased Encruzado with a splash of Uva Cão (a new one on me too…).  Thank you Mark – it’s very good indeed.  Read all about it and its already fled the nest sibling below.

Casa da Passarella Villa Oliveira Branco 2012 (Dão)

This old vine Encruzado (c. 40 years old) was micro-selected from a field blend vineyard. It spent half the ferment on skins before being pressed into 600l barrels, where it was aged (and underwent a partial malo) for 9 months with no temperature control.  It’s a beautiful wine, very textural, with a creamy nose and palate.  A lively, shimmering undertow of mineral acidity makes for terrific length and teases out myriad layers of green olive, celery salt, sweet orange peel, nuts. lime oil and vanillin oak.  A powerful wine which still looks terrific on day three when it reveals stonily mineral, firm quince fruit. 13%

Casa da Passarella Villa Oliveira Superior 2012 (Dão)