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Caminhos CruzadosDão

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TECH SHEET

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Vintage
2023
Country
PortugalPortugal
Region
Dão
Type
White
Producer
Caminhos Cruzados
Winemaker
Carla Rodrigues, Carloto Magalhães e Manuel Vieira
Grapes
Encruzado
Alcohol
13.5% vol.
Bottle
750 ml

Wine profile

White · lemon

Acidity
Body
Sweetness
Alcohol13.5% vol

Tap or hover a scale

Wine profile · White

Acidity

Level 5 of 5 — Crisp and racy – like freshly squeezed lemon

Above typical (4.1) · Typical: average of 434 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Acidity is the wine's freshness: it gives energy, makes your mouth water and helps the wine age. Too little and it tastes flat; too much and it feels sharp.

Where you feel it

On the sides of your tongue, and in how much your mouth waters after you swallow. The more you salivate, the higher the acidity.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: Vinogrande's tasting notes and wine description.

Labs measure total acidity (grams of tartaric acid per litre; most wines sit between 4.5 and 8 g/L) and pH (usually 3.0 to 3.8; the lower, the more acidic). Our scale turns that into how it feels in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: soft, little freshness
  2. 2Medium−: gentle
  3. 3Medium: fresh and balanced
  4. 4Medium+: lively, mouth-watering
  5. 5High: crisp, racy This wine

In practice, for this wine

Ideal with oysters, shellfish, sushi and fried food; it stands up to sharp, salty dishes. Serve cold, great as an aperitif.

Wine profile · White

Body

Level 4 of 5 — Full and broad – like single cream

Above typical (3.1) · Typical: average of 436 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Body is the weight and texture of the wine in your mouth. It comes mainly from alcohol, extract (everything dissolved apart from water), glycerol and, in sweet wines, sugar.

Where you feel it

Across the whole tongue: how much the wine fills your mouth. Think skimmed milk, whole milk and cream.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of the grapes (Wine Folly / WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

There is no single number for body. Labs measure dry extract (many wines are between 18 and 30 g/L) and alcohol, which WSET says has the biggest effect on body. Our scale rates the weight in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Light: fluid and delicate
  2. 2Medium−: light-ish
  3. 3Medium: rounded
  4. 4Medium+: broad This wine
  5. 5Full: dense and rich

In practice, for this wine

Wants dishes with structure: red meat, roasts, mushrooms, aged cheese.

Wine profile · White

Sweetness

Level 1 of 5 — Dry – no sugar you can taste, just fruit

In line with typical (1.1) · Typical: average of 453 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Sweetness comes from the grape's natural sugar that did not turn into alcohol (residual sugar). A dry wine has almost none; a Port or a late-harvest wine has a lot.

Where you feel it

On the tip of your tongue, right from the first sip, and as a richer, oilier feel in the mouth. Acidity can mask it.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the sweetness category recorded on the product sheet (dry, off-dry…).

It is measured in grams of residual sugar per litre. General EU bands: dry up to about 4 g/L, off-dry up to 12, medium-sweet up to 45, sweet above that. On our scale: under 4 g/L = 1, up to 12 = 2, up to 45 = 3, up to 100 = 4, more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Dry: no noticeable sugar This wine
  2. 2Off-dry: a touch of sweetness
  3. 3Medium-sweet: clearly sweet
  4. 4Sweet: rich and fruity
  5. 5Very sweet: luscious

In practice, for this wine

Goes with the whole meal, from savoury to mildly spicy. Avoid sweet desserts: they make it taste bitter.

Wine profile · White

Alcohol 13.5% vol

Level 4 of 5 — Generous – warms the throat

Above typical (3.1) · Typical: average of 453 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Alcohol is made when yeast ferments the grape's sugar. It brings warmth, adds to the body and carries the aromas.

Where you feel it

As warmth in your throat and chest when you swallow, and a slight burn on the nose when it is high.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the alcohol stated on the label — On the label: 13.5% vol.

It is the one axis that is always measured: it comes from the % vol on the label. Still and sparkling wines: under 11% = 1, up to 12.4% = 2, up to 13.4% = 3, up to 14.4% = 4, 14.5% or more = 5. Fortified wines (Port, Madeira…) have their own scale: under 16.5% = 2, up to 18.4% = 3, up to 19.9% = 4, 20% or more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: under 11% vol
  2. 2Medium−: 11–12.4% vol
  3. 3Medium: 12.5–13.4% vol
  4. 4Medium+: 13.5–14.4% vol This wine
  5. 5High: 14.5% vol or more

In practice, for this wine

Avoid very spicy food, which boosts the heat. Serve slightly below room temperature.

Critics & awards

  • Grand Gold Medal: distinguished at the national Concurso Vinhos de Portugal, organised by ViniPortugal
  • Gold Medal: awarded at the prestigious Concurso de Melhores Vinhos do Dão

Serve & enjoy

Temperature 10–12 °CFridge 2 h · take it out 10 min before serving
GlassWhite-wine glass

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Description

Caminhos Cruzados Reserva Encruzado 2023 is an excellent white from Portugal's prestigious Dão demarcated region. Made entirely from the region's queen grape, Encruzado, this single-varietal stands out for its great food-friendliness, freshness and complexity.

Caminhos Cruzados Reserva Encruzado 2023 once again confirms Encruzado's huge potential to make some of Portugal's most distinctive whites. In a particularly happy year for the grape, this wine stands out for its precision, elegance and ageing capacity, establishing itself as one of the best choices from the Dão.

It has a lovely clear, bright citrine-yellow colour. The nose is reserved at first but gains depth and complexity as it opens in the glass. Notes of ripe stone fruit and fresh apple appear, wrapped in delicate citrus hints of lime and orange peel. The barrel ageing is exemplarily integrated, adding discreet touches of vanilla, sweet spice and a subtle toasty note that lifts the whole without overshadowing the purity of the fruit.

On the palate it impresses with its combination of structure and refinement. It's full, consistent and creamy, yet supported by vibrant acidity that gives tension, energy and great freshness. The balance between volume and precision is one of its greatest virtues, revealing the classic identity of Encruzado in full.

The finish is long, persistent and very elegant, marked by fine minerality and a saline character that prolong the tasting and reinforce its food-friendliness and ageing potential.

A white of great class that honours the Dão tradition and, in my opinion, ranks among the region's best choices in the current vintage.

93 Points
Paulo Castro Vinogrande

 

What to serve with this wine

Dishes calculated from this wine’s profile, grapes and region.