Alveirão, “Maximo’s” Branco
Other, Portugal 2013 (750mL)
Regular price$26.00
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Alveirão, “Maximo’s” Branco
Before diving into today’s offer headfirst, let me lead with this: Alveirão has miraculously managed to stuff this simply-packaged bottle chock-full of the richest yet simultaneously refreshing Portuguese wine I’ve come across in years. This is no exaggeration—if you yearn for full-bodied wines with seamlessly integrated textures that evince maritime minerality and basketfuls of just-picked tropical and citrus fruit, “Maximo’s” branco (white) is the singular answer.
It may be a paradox to say this blend of four hard-to-pronounce grapes creates a wine of utter purity, but hear me out: Alveirão’s indigenous fusion marries spice, exotic fruits, and crushed rock minerality to create a ceaselessly toothsome wine that streams high-toned levels of energy and stupendous weight. Old vines, pure limestone soil, Certified Organic, 36 months of aging, micro-production...need I add more to this remarkable list? If all this sounds like a $50+ wine, you’re right, which is why I was rushing to yank the cork off another bottle after the first, not the last, sip. With its off-the-charts delectability, the greatest disservice imaginable would be to drink this alone—so get out there and show off this under-the-radar stunner! Those who chuckle at the 90’s-esque label will be quickly put into place after experiencing all this has to offer. I’m guessing, just as it was for me, that this ridiculously small family estate will be new to each and every subscriber, so be sure not to miss the boat on this spellbinding white—quantities are too small to offer this again in the near future!
I have a soft spot for wines that deliver such endless depth and lip-smacking pleasure—even more so from those that hail from Portugal. My fondness for the country knows no bounds and though my time working there was short, it still remains—and will for the rest of my life—one of my greatest wine experiences. So when a “new” (they’ve been producing wines since the 1800s) producer is revealed at my table, I perk up more so than any other region. Owned by the Faria-Vieira family, Alveirão is a tiny estate in Tejo, a sweeping region just northeast of Lisbon, that owns just 15 hectares of Certified Organic vines planted entirely to indigenous grapes. Wild flora grows between the rows, livestock manure is used for compost, plant- and herb-based oils are used for vine treatments; you don’t need a specialist to tell you this is a naturally-run estate.
“Maximo’s” Branco is a blend of the wonderfully perfumed Fernão Pires (a.k.a. Maria Gomes), Arinto, Malvasia Fina, and Rabo-de-Ovelha (“sheep’s tail,” for which the grape cluster resembles), all of which are co-planted in Alveirão’s 40-year-old vineyards. The grapes are handpicked, and, in the same vein, are fermented together at the winery. The most impressive part of all is the aging, which is why this tantalizing white shows so much complexity and balance today: After fermentation, the wine aged 36 months in stainless steel tanks before it was bottled in 2017. Even more astounding? Alveirão only bottles “Maximo’s” in the very best years! At such an attractive price, it’s hard—nearly impossible—to find this combination of quality and prudence in any of the world’s wine regions.
Maximo’s Branco is so intensely perfumed, powerfully rich, and downright addicting that you may substitute its namesake for your own. It reveals a deep yellow with silver reflections as viscous tears slowly inch their way down the glass. Concentrated, high-toned aromas of pineapple juice, honeydew, salt-preserved lemon, Asian pear, and white peach skin jump to the fore, followed by savory rushes of crushed rocks, citrus blossoms, lime leaves, honeysuckle, and sea spray. The plush, medium-plus bodied palate is a juicy interplay of rich tropicality and citrus with a prominence of astoundingly bright acidity, resulting in a drawn-out, mouthwatering finish. For its fifth birthday, this wine is radiating with energy and is in a perfect drinking spot. Feel free to enjoy your bottles over the next several years—there’s no rush to consume—with poached monkfish in a brown butter lemon sauce. Serve into all-purpose white stems, around 50 degrees, and take your time to allow the perfume, richness, and vibrancy of this wine to meld into one harmonious drinking experience. Keep another bottle on standby too!
