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Quinta do Pinto, “Lasso” Branco

Other, Portugal 2018 (750mL)
$20.00
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Quinta do Pinto, “Lasso” Branco

If five gets you ten, $20 gets you one of the most thrilling “what-am-I-drinking” experiences of the summer. Nailing today’s wine in a blind tasting would take more skill than I’ll admit to having—and I say that knowing full well that it’s a pitch-perfect expression of place, one that I’ve enjoyed many, many times. Where are we exactly—and what lies within this mystery white? We’re deep in Portugal, specifically Alenquer, a hole-in-the-wall appellation north of Lisbon. This obscure region is home to indigenous, high-energy grapes like Arinto and Fernão Pires, and Quinta do Pinto expertly fuses them together in today’s “Lasso” Branco.”
If you’ve been hanging around SommSelect for some time, my affinity for Portuguese whites won’t be groundbreaking news. It’s not that I have a soft spot for the lip-smacking pleasure, salty/citrusy stimulation, and legendary value they bring—I have a certifiable weakness. Portugal is where my wine career began, and though my time there was short, it still remains one of the greatest, most eye-opening experiences of my life. And with today’s low-dollar white, all of those vivid memories come rushing back. Like a log flume ride at an amusement park, “Lasso” ropes you in and fills you with jolts of adrenaline before ending with a cold surge of refreshment. There’s no need to look elsewhere for this wine, either—you can only find it here!

A manor from the 1600s surrounded by rolling, vine-covered hills—that’s a quintessential Portuguese estate, and in the Alenquer DOC, Quinta do Pinto is one of the standouts. According to legend, wines produced here in the 1800s were treated as the ultimate in luxury, at one point outweighing the “pintos,” the gold coin of that era. What’s more, the overseer of the Quinta at that time was a Mr. Pinto, so the property came to be locally known as “the Pinto.” Today, yet another Pinto family—of no relation to the former—diligently runs the estate.  

They, too, are steeped in agricultural and viticultural knowledge—five generations of it. As such, they farm their vines sustainably and employ no intense, hands-on, technical winemaking for “Lasso.” The wine is all the better for it: the best grapes are hand-sorted at the cellar door, destemmed, and pressed into vats. After three days of natural, let-gravity-do-the-work settling, the juice ferments on indigenous yeasts in concrete vessels before a brief aging regimen in order to preserve freshness. 

In the glass Quinta do Pinto’s “Lasso” Branco erupts with the salty, mineral twang of high-quality coastal Portuguese whites and quickly reveals wide-reaching layers of crisp, citrus-driven fruits. As the wine opens up, further aromatic dimensions are opened: underripe pineapple and mango, salt-preserved Meyer lemon, lime blossoms, exotic white flowers, melon peel, white peach skin, and sea spray. Medium-bodied and energizing on the palate, this shows its absolute best at a cool temperature (45-50 degrees) in all-purpose stems, ideally with a large crowd in attendance. But given the current state of affairs, let’s keep it between those living in your household, in the backyard. I suggest savoring a few now and saving your other bottles for down the road when a proper party can be thrown. Cheers!
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Country
Portugal
Region
Other
Sub-Region
PortugalAlenquer DOC
Soil
Clay-Limestone
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Arinto 50%, Fernão Pires 50%
Alcohol
13.0
TEMP.
50
Glassware
All-Purpose
Drinking
Now-2022
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Ceviche de Bacalhau

Portugal

Northeastern Portugal

Duoro Valley

The Douro winds its way across Portugal from east to west, and along the way, centuries of painstaking manual vineyard work becomes strikingly evident—in the form
of steep-sloping vineyards arrayed on stone terraces. There are nearly a half million acres of vineyards planted here (about as much as the entire state of California), accounting for 22% of all Portuguese wine produced.

Northern Portugal

Dão

The Dão is said to be Portugal’s “oldest” wine region, older even than the Douro, and it is perhaps the most prestigious of Portugal’s 31 DOC appellations. Situated on the Beira Alta plateau surrounding the Dão River, the region is sheltered on all sides by mountains and boasts
a relatively cool, dry climate, with soils of weathered schist and granite.

Northwestern Portugal

Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde is Portugal’s largest DOC, with nine sub-regions within it. Monção and Melgaço are neighboring towns that hug the border with Spain, on the Minho River; immediately to the south is the
mountainous Peneda-Gerês National Park. Soils are granitic and the climate cool, with warm days and cold nights facilitating a longer growing season—great for developing complexity.

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