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Quinta de Saes Reserva EP branco (1,5L) 2017
Region: From the treasure room
Producer: Quinta de Saes - da Pellada
Why we chose this wine
Alvaro Casto perfectly embodies the essence of The Portugal Collection. At the end of 2018, Alvaro Casto will carry out its 30th harvest as an independent winegrower. We have been following him since 2003 and consider him to be one of Portugal's key winemakers, a player in the qualitative rebirth of Portuguese wines, if only for having, almost single-handedly, put the Dão region back on the map. He has been assisted by his daughter Maria for several years. Their elegant wines make the region shine like in the good old days. His vineyards are located in the Dao region, on a granite terroir on a mountain plateau at an altitude of 450m.
Alvaro's more accessible vintages are marketed under the label of Quinta de Saes, while it bottles distinguished wines for laying down under the name Quinta da Pellada.
Saes is Alvaro Castro's base wine, but he immediately raises the standard for his premium vintages. This Dão offers a demonstration of personality quite rare in its price range.
The Saes Reserva is a perfect example of the special qualities of white wines in Portugal: the nose is characterised by notes of ripe tropical fruits. The palate is elegant and softly textured with good minerality and long acidity.
Alvaro's more accessible vintages are marketed under the label of Quinta de Saes, while it bottles distinguished wines for laying down under the name Quinta da Pellada.
Saes is Alvaro Castro's base wine, but he immediately raises the standard for his premium vintages. This Dão offers a demonstration of personality quite rare in its price range.
The Saes Reserva is a perfect example of the special qualities of white wines in Portugal: the nose is characterised by notes of ripe tropical fruits. The palate is elegant and softly textured with good minerality and long acidity.
| Volume | 150.0 cl. |
| Grape Variety | Malvasia, Cerceal, Encruzado |
| Drinking window | 2018-2027 |
| Alc. | 13.0% |
| Vinification | Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats and is very slow (almost 3 months), which guarantees a better development of the aromas. |
| Ripening | The wine is aged for a short period in stainless steel vats with stirring. Bottling takes place quite early, in February or March, for maximum preservation of the primary aromas and because Alvaro Castro is convinced that this favours a long maturation in the bottle. He is supported in this conviction by the many old Dão wines that are still abundant in the region and which have traditionally been bottled early. |
Waar serveer je ’m bij?
A magnum of the 2017 Saes Reserva, and here the format is not a gimmick: a bottle of a litre and a half holds less oxygen per litre of wine, so the ageing runs more slowly and more cautiously. Nine years on, this wine is accordingly less old than its vintage suggests. Malvasia, Cerceal and Encruzado, raised entirely in steel, with apricot, white pepper and a clear minerality; the acidity has softened, the volume has grown. A magnum also asks for a table: six to eight glasses all coming from the same bottle, around one large dish in the middle.
Drie gerechten die werken
Roast goose with apple
Sea bream in a salt crust
Stuffed breast of veal with herbs
Sea bream in a salt crust
Stuffed breast of veal with herbs
Vegetarisch
Grilled portobello with garlic butter
Minder geschikt bij
Aperitifs and loose nibbles: a waste of the magnum and too much wine for too little plate. Sharply spiced dishes also ask for something younger and fresher.
Voor de Portugees geïnspireerde kok
Caldeirada à moda da Beira — fish stew with potato, onion and tomato in layers
Serveren op 12–14 °C