Soalheiro Allo Branco 2018

The 2018 ALLO (the "AL" being 30% Alvarinho, the "LO" referencing 70% Loureiro—these percentages were accidentally reversed last year, since corrected; it has always been a Loureiro-dominant blend) is dry (about three grams of residual sugar versus 6.3 grams of total acidity) and comes in at 11.5% alcohol, a typical level for Loureiro. This has a whiff of what I like to call that "Soalheiro green," but only a whiff. Still, this is a wine focused on freshness, zing and zest. Soalheiro is, I suspect, going for the freshness. That does not take a genius to discern. More than a little mouthwatering, this has its fair share of acidity while still managing good concentration for the style. Plus, there's that big finish. This actually seems more intense than the regular Alvarinho. It is not as fruity or as round, but I like this blend better this year. We'll see what happens a couple of years down the road.

What I don't find just now is much in the way of expressiveness with either of the grapes. That will get better with a few more months in bottle—even by mid to late summer this should be better. While you do have to like your whites on the zing-and-zest side with a fair hit of acidity to appreciate it, this is a fine bargain. It once again seems to punch above its weight. I'm leaning up again as a result. If it does not improve as anticipated, it will still be a nice deal. I'm willing to bet it ages very well too—acidity preserves, and Soalheiro knows how to make wines that age. There were approximately 100,000 bottles produced from 25-year-old vines.- Mark Squires.