Herdade do Esporão Monte Velho, 2018
This dry white wine delivers more than you'd expect for the price. It's a good choice for weeknight meals and patio sipping. Made in Portugal's sun-baked Alentejo region, the wine is a blend of several native grapes, including the area's star white variety, the drought-resistant Antão Vaz.
The grapes may not be familiar, but the wine's flavor profile would win fans of white Rhône blends. Opening with stone fruit and rose petal aromas, it shows lemon, apricot and tart quince flavors laced with mineral, floral and spice notes. Good acidity keeps it food-friendly, and although unoaked, it has enough texture to partner with pork, chicken, shellfish and creamy pasta dishes. Like other Alentejo producers, Esporão is best known for rich red wines, but the winery has also consistently won awards for its whites, including this entry-level blend.
The Herdade do Esporão property dates to 1267 and was acquired in 1973 by José Roquette. His plans for founding an estate winery there were soon thwarted by Portugal's political revolution, which brought nationalization of private lands. In the early 1980s, Roquette worked out a deal to regain the property, plant new vines, and establish a winery. Esporão released its first wine in 1985 and has since become a leader in sustainable winemaking practices in Alentejo. The winery is in the process of becoming certified organic.
The Monte Velho 2018 ($12.99 to $15.99) is sold at Central Market, Whole Foods Market (Park Lane, Plano and Fairview stores), Spec's (Park Lane and Coit Road stores), Green Spot (on Buckner) and Off the Vine (in Grapevine).
Tina Danze is a Dallas freelance writer.