People ask me all the time what my favourite wine is, and I like to quote my first boss: “I like any wine that’s balanced and well made.” Literally thousands of wines later, I’ve taken that quote to heart. As my partner loves to tell me, I have too many favourites anyway!
But I do have a favourite region here in Portugal, and it’s the Dão for its ridiculously delicious whites. The white wines from the Dão, often crackling with tension, minerality and zesty citrus fruit, make up just 20% of the region’s production. While the Dão’s white wine production may be small compared to the red, it scores equally as high for sophistication, freshness and luscious mouthfeel.
One of the oldest established wine regions in the country, the Dão is protected by three mountain ranges with soil rich in schist and granite. The majority of quality vineyards are situated at altitudes between 150m–700m above sea level. Celebrating a temperate climate, the vines benefit from an elevated proximity to the sun’s rays and the wide diurnal shift, so it’s no wonder Dão wines are among the most revered in Portugal.
The elevated vineyards of the Dão are filled with many different white grapes and like the other wine regions here in Portugal they are often blended. The four I’ve highlighted are unique to the Douro, and considered better varietals as they are phenomenal on their own or in blends with the others.
The Dão is perhaps best known for the Encruzado grape, (meaning criss-cross) it can be rich and full-bodied with aromas of lemon, chamomile, stone fruit and melon with light green pepper, rose and violet overtones. These unique wines are prized for their waxy, textural mouthfeel, precise balance, complexity and persistent nutty finish.
The other stand-out noble grape includes Bical, which, when picked at the right moment, has lightening fresh acidity and a well-structured body, with notes of mouth-watering papaya, peach, apricot, and citrus.
Cerceal grapes are also known for their lively acidity and minerality, and have notes of grapefruit, lemon, lime and a light savory character on the finish.
And then there’s Malvasia Fina, which is dominated by vibrant floral tones, balanced acidity, soft fleshy stone fruits, beeswax, and occasionally smokey with sweet spice. It can be controversial on its own for those who don’t prefer overtly floral wines, but it does guarantee to wow in a blend. I personally consider each grape to be phenomenal alone or blended, and I recommend you try them all!
My inspiration for this month’s topic came from a few weeks ago when I got together with my blind-tasting group in Lagos. I had the pleasure of tasting an incredible mono-varietal Bical white wine from the Dão. It blew my socks off! From Quinta Madre de Água, Terras, 100% Bical, 2021 – this stunner was hands down the favourite of the day. I’ve found it’s hard to chase down the 2021 vintage but the more recent vintages are easier to find and way worth the bang for the buck at €9.80 directly from the winery.
More of my favourite wineries from the region include Dominio do Açor, Quinta dos Roques, Quinta das Maias, Quinta da Fonte do Ouro, Taboadella, Mira do Ó Druida, Ribeiro Santo, Quinta de Saes/Quinta da Pellada and António Madeira.
I’d love to hear your feed back and what other tasting notes you might find in your wines that I haven’t mentioned. Please write to me with your “constructive” criticism, personal wine observations, and recommendations!!
