Esporao Reserva Branco 2021

WA89: The 2021 Reserva Branco is a roughly equal blend of Antão Vaz, Roupeiro and Arinto. It was aged for six months in a 75/25 mixture of stainless steel and new oak (mostly American). It comes in at 14.03% alcohol. Nicely focused, this is precise and tight, not fully open and showing its oak a bit. That said, the freshness cuts through the wood easily, and the fruit asserts itself easily as well. For the money, this is a no-brainer purchase, another fine value from a company that specializes in them.

Herdade do Esporão has extraordinary conditions for agriculture in Portugal’s Alentejo region. They boast cork oak forests and approximately 700 hectares of vineyards and olive groves. 

First produced in 1985, Esporão Reserva is made from 25-year-old vines and is aged 6 months in stainless steel tanks and in new American and French oak barrels. It delights with tangerine, lemon, white pepper, and nutmeg. Organic.