Boas Quintas Fonte do Ouro Branco 2014 Dão, Portugal 75cl

Boas Quintas is a family estate at the heart of the Dão, working the granite hills of one of Portugal’s oldest wine regions. The Fonte do Ouro range is its estate-grown line, and its whites lean on the crisp, mineral character that altitude and granite soils bring.

This white pairs Encruzado, the Dão’s most prized white grape, with Arinto. Encruzado gives texture, subtle stone fruit and an ability to age gracefully, while Arinto lends zesty acidity and lift. Together they make a white that is fresh and precise rather than showy, with the fruit doing the talking.

Cooler mountain nights and slow ripening are central to the style, preserving natural acidity and aromatic freshness. This 2014 has bottle age on its side, so a wine that started crisp and youthful will now show a rounder, more developed character, and Encruzado is a variety that takes to time in bottle better than most Portuguese whites.

Expect aromas and flavours of apple, pear and citrus, with a floral edge and a fine thread of minerality. The palate is dry and balanced, with fresh acidity carrying a clean, gently savoury finish. Time in bottle has softened the edges and added a little weight, without dulling the freshness that defines the style.

If you enjoy characterful, food-friendly whites such as a good white Rioja or a cooler-climate Chardonnay, Dão whites are well worth discovering and often represent excellent value. Serve it well chilled with grilled fish, roast chicken, or creamy pasta and softer cheeses.