2016 Redoma Branco
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The Italian selection is particularly strong, though in the end, I could not resist a Portuguese white, the 2016 Redoma Branco Douro from Niepoort. It’s a brilliant wine from the most famous “Dirk” in Portugal, a blend of 65- to 85-year-old Rabigato, Códega, Viosinho, Donzelinho, Dorinto and a field blend of others grown on schist soil, fermented in oak barrels and bottled after nine months. Aromatic on the nose, it offers enticing scents of wild peaches, brioche and chamomile, all beautifully defined. Where the palate could have been heavy, instead it was nimble and tensile, delivering perfectly judged acidity that effortlessly counterbalanced the weight and concentration. This was a hot summer in the Douro, and yet, the alcohol comes in at a cool 12 degrees only. It was a wine that made me wish I could taste the underrated Portuguese wines more regularly.
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Neal Martin
Mark Squires
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The 2016 Redoma Branco is a field blend from old vines, aged for eight months in an 80/20 blend of used and new French oak. It comes in at just 12% alcohol. This is beautifully done, fresh and lively, gorgeously balanced and even a bit perky for an oaked white. It easily overcomes its wood and the fruit rises above it. The tension on the finish gives this some distinction and it is rather delicious, too. This can pair well with food or be drunk on its own, because it is graceful enough to allow it to be a sipper, while it has enough stuffing to hold up to food. This attractive white should age well, too. Dirk Niepoort predicts a 15-year aging curve, but it will certainly change character as it ages and it is pretty tasty now. So, hold it or don't, depending on how you like them.