From: Minho, Portugal
Varietals: Loureiro, Alvarinho, Avesso
Taste: Yellow in color with green tones, this wine has a fresh, light bouquet of white flowers, nectarines, and kumkwat. The Loureiro offers freshness, intensity and exuberance, which combine with the concentration, riper fruit in the nose and acidity found in the Alvarinho. In turn, the Avesso brings body, balance and harmony in the mouth. It is fine and elegant on the palate with good acidity, a soft fullness derived from the battonage, and a long, refreshing finish.
Pairing: This is one of the most food-friendly Vinho Verdes we have come across! It would be delicious paired with a recipe such as Crostini with Crushed Eggs and Salted Anchovies by Rita Sodi and Jody Williams for Bon Appetit.
About.
Herdade do Esporão, which means "The Esporão Homestead" in portuguese, his a large estate with nearly 700 hectares of organic vineyards and olive groves. Quinta do Ameal, located withinin the demarcated region of Vinho Verde, has been registered as a historic property since 1710. It is a unique place not only for its beauty, but for its setting in the Lima sub-region, the cradle of the Loureiro variety.
Over the years, Quinta do Ameal has always remained true to its origin and has stood out for its sustainable agricultural practices and for bringing new perspectives to the Vinho Verde region. It thus became a pioneer in affirming the capacity of the Loureiro grape variety, to produce white wines of quality and high capacity for evolution. The Quinta do Ameal has about 30 hectares, of which 14 are Loureiro vineyards. The property extends over 800 meters from the bank of the river Lima and consists of 8 hectares of forest with a wide variety of trees, walnut, chestnut and stone pines, some of which are more than 200 years old.
The combination of the characteristics of Quinta do Ameal – its location, the granite soils, the characteristic climate of the region together with agricultural practices that respect nature – result in unique wines, with character and capacity for evolution that reflect the different expressions of the Loureiro variety.
Esporao’s Bico Amarelo Vinho Verde represents the diversity of the Vinho Verde Region through its three main grape varieties: Loureiro from the sub-region of the Lima River, Alvarinho de Monção e Melgaço, and Avesso de Baião.
The winery’s website quotes winemaker José Luís Moreira da Silva, who describes that this wine was vinified simply, without additions of sugar or Carbon Dioxide gas, and with the pressing of entire bunches, fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, and the distinctive batonnage stage, which affords greater creaminess, more texture and greater balance to the final batch. All in all, these stylistic decisions result in a Vinho Verde unique for its more vinous quality.
