Quinta da Pedra Royal Palmeira Loureiro Sur Lies Fines 2016 Vinho Verde, Portugal 75cl

Royal Palmeira is one of the more inquisitive labels in Portuguese white wine, a project from Idealdrinks with vineyards across the Minho, Dao and Bairrada. With this Loureiro the team set out to show that a grape usually made for easy, gently fizzy drinking can carry real substance.

The wine is pure Loureiro, the classic aromatic variety of the Vinho Verde region in the green, rainy north west of Portugal. The point of difference is the winemaking. Rather than bottle it young and slightly spritzy in the usual style, the fruit is rested on its fine lees, which is unusual for Loureiro and gives the wine weight, texture and a savoury edge behind the fruit.

Vinho Verde sits in the cool, damp Minho in Portugal’s far north west, a green landscape of high rainfall and Atlantic influence that gives its wines their trademark freshness. The 2016 vintage has settled with a few years in bottle, trading primary sparkle for a rounder, more complete feel while holding that regional cut.

On the nose there are tropical fruits, fresh lime and orange blossom. The palate is dry and structured, fuller than a typical Vinho Verde, with a lingering finish of oranges and a clean mineral lift. The lees work adds a gentle creaminess without dulling the natural freshness, and there is a savoury, textured quality that sets it apart from the everyday style.

This is a wine for anyone who thinks they know Vinho Verde. Serve it well chilled but not ice cold, so the texture shows. It rewards a curious drinker and sits happily with grilled fish, seafood rice, roast chicken or soft cheeses. If you enjoy a textured, unoaked white such as a fine Albarino across the border in Spain, this is a natural step.