Vieira de Sousa White Port 10 Year (500ml)

The 10yr White Port is a highly aromatic and complex wine that takes advantage of prolonged skin contact and an oxidative process of a long time in oak barrels, in order to create a remarkable treat from the local white varietals.  A field blend of Malvasia Fina, Rabigato, Verdelho, and Gouveio come into the cellar after a hand-harvest on steeply sloped sites, for an old-fashioned foot crushing in giant concrete lagares to begin fermentation.  Once fortified with grape brandy and then moved to large and old oak vats, the wine rests for many years, and the final bottling is a blend of vintages that average to at least ten years.  The brilliant gold that shines forth from the glass is packed with a raisined and nutty aroma, leading to a sweet and fresh palate of fig, golden raisin, ginger, and pear.  An incredible structure with acidity and weight, this wine pairs perfectly with creamy cheeses, thick chutneys, and nuts.

Vieira de Sousa is a newly official Port house that dates back to the 18th century; as they have always farmed exceptional fruit from the Douro River region but used to sell the majority of their juice to larger estates nearby. As they have made small bits of Port for the family for over a century, the house now makes only their own Port as Luisa Vieira de Sousa Borges (the current and now operation generation of the family) completed a degree in oenology in 2008 and decided to take her family's business to a new level. In her young 30's, she is ambitious and is tackling a world of old traditional wine made by old men, by making incredible juice on her family's land. All estate fruit is used for the wines, coming from four different quintas (vineyards) at varying elevations, dispositions, and influences. In 2009 they bottled their first vintage Port from their top Quinta do Roncão Pequeno site, and the rest will now be history. In old stone lagares, they foot crush their fruit, let only the natural yeasts begin the fermentation, allow natural settling for clarification, and use incredibly delicate and quality brandy for fortification. Naturally, the final aged wines are exceptional, classic, and will be recognized as some of the greatest Ports available on the market.

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