Case of Pormenor Vinhos Branco Reserva 2023 | $60 per bottle

$60 per bottle | $360 case of 6

Grape Varieties: Rabigato and Malvasia Fina (old-vine blend, 80+ years)
Region: Douro Superior — Pombal de Ansiães
Producer: Pormenor Vinhos (Pedro Coelho)
Aging: 10 months in used French oak (500L & 228L barrels), plus 2 months in stainless steel
Alcohol: 13% vol.
Production: 3,607 bottles (750ml)

The Origin: Pormenor's reserve white comes from its oldest vineyards — vines above 80 years old, planted between 550 and 650 metres in Pombal de Ansiães, deep in the Douro Superior. North- and southeast-facing slopes sit on a transition of schist and granite, a mix winemaker Pedro Coelho points to for the wine's freshness. Douro whites can run broad and soft in a hot climate; this one leans on altitude and old vines for tension instead.

The Profile: Clean, vibrant straw in the glass. Contained floral aromas lead on the nose alongside real minerality. The palate carries citrus, green apple and pineapple with a touch of green herbs — good tension, good volume, and the light oxidative, toasty edge that comes from ageing in used oak. Balanced, elegant acidity runs through a medium-long finish. 13% alcohol.

The Craft: Mainly Rabigato, with a small part of old-vine Malvasia Fina. Picked in the first week of September for acidity and balanced ripeness. After hand-sorting and a gentle press, the juice settles for 24 hours at low temperature, then ferments spontaneously with indigenous yeast — no cultured yeast, no temperature control — in used French oak (500L and 228L barrels). It ages on its lees in those same barrels for 10 months, then 2 more in stainless steel, with no battonage. Naturally stabilized and unfined before bottling, so expect some sediment.

The Pairing: Serve at 11–13°C — cool, but warm enough to let the barrel-aged texture show. Good with richer fish, white meats, poultry, risotto, cod, and soft cheeses.