Tinto y Blanco » Loureiro

Quinta do Ameal 2008

Dave Worthington — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:07:55 +0000

It’s 38 degrees in Melbourne today, so what to drink? The best idea is probably water, a bit boring for this time of year tho. A more enjoyable solution would be a nice bottle of manzailla or a beer, perhaps something sparkling. Or Vinho Verde, which is my choice tonight. There isn’t a lot of vinho verde getting around in Australia, so I feel quite comfortable in saying that this is the best around….

It’s peachy, lemon-limey, herby and a little salty on the nose. A little melon creeps in as it warms up too. Nicely textured, you could be convinced there is a bit of spritz there, but its not really fizz but the fine minerally acid. From what I’ve seen of previous vintages, this will open up and keep deilvering over the next couple of years. Next time you’re heading out for yum cha, grab a couple of bottles of this, loads of friends and fill the table with seafood dumplings. Heaven. 89 Pts

Web: www.quintadoameal.com

Other Vintages: 2005, 2007

Quinta do Ameal Loureiro 2007

Dave Worthington — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:34:47 +0000

Like much of Rias Briaxa, Vinho Verde had a very good quality vintage in 2007. This wine really shows it off, it’s vibrant and character filled but remains easy to drink and excellent with food. This is perfect for lazy sunday drinking, I have but this to the test a couple of times now…

The nose kicks things off well with aromas of peach, lemon, pineapple with a hit of apricot and grapefruit. It’s lightly textured with some spritzy/minerally acid and big ‘ol finish. Lively on the palate with plenty of tropical fruit with a bit of peach and apricot. Everything is in balance, nice and savoury with some sweet fruit. A fun drink that you could take seriously if you wanted to. I’m buying a bunch of this for summer drinking in the backyard with some BBQ’d fish. 89 Pts

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $25 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.quintadoameal.com

Other Vintages: 2005

Quinta do Ameal Escolha 2004

Dave Worthington — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:15:12 +0000

The folks at Quita do Ameal say that their aim in life is to do great things with the Loureiro grape variety, and I think they are well on the way. This is a barrel fermented version, it has been highly acclaimed in the European wine press over the past year or so. The aromatics on this are fantastic and the palate weight is compelling. I'm really enjoying these Portuguese whites at the moment.

Its made from Loureiro that is fermented in new French oak barrels. It is left in barrel for 6 months and gets a fair bit of bâtonnage in that time. Its not stabilised at all, and only lightly filtered. Interestingly they recommend an hour in the decanter before you drink it. Also watch the temperature, not too cold please.

Pale in colour with a light straw colour. The decanting certainly helps, aromas of vanilla and honeysuckle with a touch of kiwi fruit and smoky pear. Super texture in the mouth, smooth and oily with a good crack of acid. Slight nettles with lemon and fennel bulb in the mouth, the finish is long with tangy bitter lemon. If you are looking for something different this spring, you would do well to have some of this in the fridge. 91 Pts

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $24 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.quintadoameal.com

Quinta do Ameal Loureiro 2005

Dave Worthington — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:26:47 +0000

This is a wine that Gary Walsh would like, its like a cross between hunter semillon and a young riesling. This wine comes from 12 hectares of Loureiro in the Lima sub region of Vinho Verde and is a low 11.5% alc. Perfect lunch time hooch. The owners of this property sold the port house Ramos Pinto at the end of the 80s and started again here, reviving the vineyards and looking to make excellent vinho verde.

Very pale in colour, almost clear actually, with aromas of kiwifruit, lemon, pineapple with a bit of musky grapefruit. In the mouth it shows lanolin like texture, minerally acid and good length. The palate shows a similar profile to the nose, but adds a bit of gooseberry, grapefruit and a bit of orange sherbet on the medium length finish. A very good spring/summer drink. 88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $24 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.quintadoameal.com