Maçanita Vinhos Letra F As Olgas Branco 2019

Wine Type:
Style of Wine:	Fruity & Smooth
Country of Origin:	Portugal
Wine Region:	Douro
Grape Varietal:
Bottle Format:	750mL
Case Size:	6 bottles
$367.32 Per Case ($61.22/btl) Add to Cart

Tasting Notes

Letra F is a play on words for the categorization system for port grapes in the Douro, finishing at letter F. Most of the F ranked vineyards are neglected, since the prices they would receive for the grapes were much lower than the prized ABCs. Thus, they're now a treasure trove of old vines, often at altitude, and mixed field blends of white and red grapes. The Maçanita siblings have been searching out these old vineyards and revitalizing them for super interesting wines like this. This field blend comes from a single vineyard (an As Olgas, in old Portuguese) in Carlão, Cima Corgo, with vines 90-110 years old at 480m altitude, rooted in schist and granite. Nimble and tight up front, with an ample salty schistous lick, this is padded with lees, and flooded with meadow grass, elderflower, apricot fuzz, crushed stones across an expansive, dense palate, with a fine buzzy granitic grip holding the bottom taut, and drawing this to a very saline finish. This tastes mountainous. Serious wine.

Critical Praise

"The 2019 Branco As Olgas is a field blend from very old vines (90 to 100 years) and more than 12 grape varieties, all aged for 12 months in used French oak. It comes in very dry and at 13.2% alcohol. Another stony and earthy white without much fruit in the profile—the winery seems to like many of the special bottlings this way—this and the Pala Pinta are easily the best in structure, simply gripping. This retains good balancing concentration, though. The bigger issue again is that stony profile—minerality?—not always my favorite, but the rest is so terrific that it's hard to resist. It is going to require a food pairing for sure, though. Like its "less fruity" siblings, this should age well. There were just 800 bottles produced. Drink 2022-2031.” - 91 points, Mark Squires, Wine Advocate