Casa da Passarella O Oenologo Encruzado, Dao, Portugal

帕薩雷拉酒莊釀酒師依克加多白葡萄酒

點擊次數(shù)：455

The 2019 Encruzado O Oenólogo was mostly fermented in cement tanks (75%), the rest in new French oak. It comes in with less than half a gram of residual sugar, 7.03 of total acidity and 13.2% alcohol. This has a more traditional feel than the regular Branco—it seems more solid in the mid-palate, and it handles the wood well. The trade-off is that it loses that zesty demeanor—although it is certainly a bright wine, so don't misunderstand. It's a different wine for different moments, but it is equally well executed in a more neutral style. This will do better with a typical meal.

The 2017 Encruzado O Oenólogo was partly fermented in cement (75%), the rest in new French oak. It comes in at 13% alcohol. Bright, fresh and a little earthy, this slightly delicate white is most notable for the pure power on the finish. There is plenty of grip and tension. It lifts the fruit and enlivens the palate. It's balanced, however, not at all an acid-freak wine. Overall, though, this graceful white should be better for a food pairing. Happily, you hardly notice the wood after a few minutes.

The 2016 Encruzado O Oenólogo was partly fermented in cement and used barrels and then partly (25%) aged in new French oak, the rest in stainless steel. It comes in at 13% alcohol. This is not quite as sunny as the 2015 in our mini-vertical, but it is nicely concentrated. Mostly, the three are along the same lines, with subtle style differences from the vintages. The problem here, though, is the nose. At the moment, it is a little smoky, something I attributed to reduction. It did get better with air, and that may well blow off as this settles down. Right now, though, it is not quite as interesting as it should (and probably will) be. Give it six to 12 months in the bottle.

The 2015 Encruzado O Oenólogo was partly (25%) aged for six months in new French oak, the rest in cement vats. It comes in at 13.5% alcohol. This is no more solid than the 2014, its predecessor in our mini-vertical (perhaps less so), but it has a brighter and livelier feel. By contrast, relatively speaking, the 2014 seems a little stolid, while this cheerfully dances across the palate. Elegant, fresh and tasty on the finish, this just seems to have somewhat better fruit than its predecessor. They are somewhat different in style, too, this being the sunnier one. I suspect this will age better also, and they will separate more as time goes on, leaving this as the clear winner of the mini-vertical.

The 2014 Encruzado O Oenólogo was partly (25%) aged for six months in new French oak, the rest in cement vats. It comes in at 13% alcohol. This is nicely done, although it lacks the energy and focus of its younger sibling, the 2015. The lift to the fruit in the younger vintage is better also, defining the fruit nicely and letting it linger longer on the finish. That may be a function of relative age, but also, I suspect, a lesser vintage. Still, this white seems a lot closer to its younger siblings than the red 2014 did. Overall, this shows very well. It should hold reasonably well, too, but let's take that in stages.