Casa de Santar Vinha dos Amores Encruzado 2017

The 2017 Branco Vinha dos Amores is an Encruzado aged for 12 months in new French oak. It comes in at 13.7% alcohol. Of the white table wines here, this not surprisingly shows its oak the most, but it also displays the harmony gained by a little extra time in bottle. It pulls in the wood with some air and shows reasonable concentration and a lingering finish to go with its graceful demeanor. There's not a lot of energy and I do wonder if this has the structure to develop with age, but it certainly should hold throughout most of this decade, more or less. - Mark Squires.  

The extra age in this version has added a patina of singed hazelnut and matchstick notes while the core of lemon curd, citrus oil, peach and honeysuckle notes has broadened out nicely. Still keeps a zip of quinine through it all too. Lovely. Drink now through 2024.