Caminhos Cruzados Reserva Encruzado 2023

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