The exceptional 2008 ESCOLHA, the winery’s special selection, in essence, is Loureiro aged in French oak for 6 months, coming in at 12% alcohol. There were 5,000 bottles produced. This tends to be a wine that ages very well from this winery, more than the reputation of the region or the rather delicate grape would normally allow. There are certainly other wines in the region that can age, but Ameal, with its focus on the rather delicate Loureiro grape, certainly marches to a different drummer here, even suggesting that this be decanted for an hour before serving. Indeed, it showed much better with air, integrating its oak over a couple of hours (one hour is really not enough at this point in its young life, tasted in July, 2010) and becoming a more complete wine with persistence and a lingering finish. The oak is always going to be the issue in Vinho Verde, even more so with a grape like Loureiro. Even when well integrated, it simply won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Here, it gives the wine a more brooding demeanor than the unoaked Loureiro reviewed this issue, but while there is little of that “vanilla milkshake” demeanor or flavoring, it occasionally showed some sweet oak nuances as it aired out, plus a little of that sour lemon ball note that some crisp, dry whites can get. It also largely moved past that as it continued to air out, and cellaring should answer any remaining questions, too, an interesting projection in Vinho Verde from so many perspectives. Considering how much substance there is here, it is fair to say it has some upside and a likelihood of matching or surpassing some predecessors that aged quite well, integrating the oak as they went along. Drink now-2014. Ibanez Pleven Offerings, New York, N.Y.; tel: (212) 243-9463
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