Quinta Nova Pomares Douro Branco 2021

A delectable blend of three indigenous Portuguese varietals (40% Gouveio, 35% Viosinho, 25% Rabigato), the 2021 Quinta Nova Pomares Branco bursts with energy. It captures the beauty of the Douro, beginning with a fresh, beguiling bouquet. Savory scents of green apple, white peach, and lime eagerly greet the nose. In the mouth, the wine’s citrus and orchard fruit flavors are infused with a firm structure, allowing it to flow gracefully on a bed of racy minerality before culminating in a thoroughly satisfying, lip smacking finish. Vivacious and thoroughly delightful, it won’t be long before savvy white wine drinkers discover the beauty of Quinta Nova’s 2021 Pomares Branco. Drink this wine now and often over the next couple of years, served at 40°-45° F. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2024. Enjoy!

Quinta Nova’s 2021 Pomares Branco makes a great companion to the many celebrated seafood dishes for which Portugal is renowned, including Arroz de Bacalhau, a traditional Portuguese dish consisting of salt cod, rice, sautéed onions, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, peppers, fish or vegetable stock, and white wine. Grilled fish or octopus in the company of roasted potatoes provides another authentic and tasty accompaniment to Quinta Nova’s delicious 2021 Pomares Branco. Bronzino prepared with Mediterranean herbs, arugula, red pepper, and mango with a fennel salad also provides a fine accompaniment. Pan Seared Halibut with a beurre blanc sauce accompanied by crab meat risotto, zucchini, and fresh tomatoes makes another splendid companion. Seafood Ravioli with lobster and shrimp in a lightly spiced tomato cream sauce earns two thumbs up as well. Poultry and ham pair beautifully, too, but the 2021 Quinta Nova Pomares Branco needs nothing but a clean, thin glass to shine as it makes a splendid aperitif.

Quinta Nova, whose full name is Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, embodies the history and extreme beauty of the Douro, Portugal’s most iconic wine region and home to Port as well as the country’s most renowned unfortified wines. Quinta Nova was owned by the Portuguese royal family until 1725 when it became Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo (New Estate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) when two estates merged. It has been recognized as a bona fide Douro estate since the first demarcation of the Douro in 1756. And throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, several Portuguese families contributed to the growth and importance of the property by giving life to the vineyards, fruit orchards, and olive grove as well as the property’s historic chapel, winery, and manor house, all of which are integrated into the estate’s hills. Since 1999, four generations of the Amorim family have been the owners and guardians of this formidable estate.

Quinta Nova’s 120 hectares (296 acres) of vines climb the steep hillsides above the swiftly running Douro River to bask in the sun and brilliant light that reflects off the river. As one expects from the Douro and the origin of port, red wines account for most of Quinta Nova’s production. However, exceptional white wines are also fashioned, including the estate’s 2021 Pomares Douro Branco (this month’s feature), which is a traditional blend of indigenous Portuguese grape varieties that includes Viosinho, Gouveio, and Rabigato. The estate also produces a delicious Pomares Douro Tinto and several other exceptional red wines including an un-oaked red blend known as Terroir Blend Reserva, and Mirabilis, a very dense long-lived red. Of course, Quinta Nova also crafts an exceptional portfolio of Ports.