2024 Quinta do Regueiro, Trajadura-Alvarinho, Vinho Verde, Portugal.
The steely crisp 2024 white blend from Regueiro, one of my favorite Portuguese producers, is made from Trajadura (Treixadura) and Alvarinho (Albariño) in the Vinho Verde zone and shows of a low alcohol, lighter framed and bone dry palate with racy citrus, orange blossom, wet stone, hints of apple, tropical fruit and tangy peach pit notes. This super refreshing mineral toned wine is native yeast fermented and raised in cool stainless steel tank to promote pure transparency and is nicely zippy with the clear intention of making a non pretentious value quaffer, but with fruit and precise detailing. The cool Atlantic climate and granite dominate soils, particularly in the north and Monção/Melgaço, with its bands of schist, clay, and quartz adds to the complexity, brisk acidity and mineral nature of the wines, which are great with sea foods, especially sardines, oysters, steamed claims, mussels and fried anchovies.
The Qunta do Regueiro Trajadura-Alvarinho is sourced from two vineyard sites in DOC Minho (Monção & Melgaço) in Vinho Verde and is a true bargain and without any compromise in quality. Regueiro put the 2024 together from 60% Trajadura and 40% Alvarihno, all sustainably farmed grapes and spontaneous native yeast fermentation, as noted, in tank for purity and terroir influenced character. The Monção & Melgaço, in Vinho Verde, Portugal is perfectly situated to make, not too far from Spain’s Galicia region, a lighter cool climate wine, not too different from Txokolina, and is led by Alvarinho, but also sees Trajadura and Loureiro mainly, though there is also Arinto, plus a few lesser known varietals. Regueiro does some elevated single varietal Alvarinho as well, which are usually my personal go to bottlings, but I do love Trajadura and this wine is so easy to drink and full of zesty acidity, it’s a perfect day time wine.
($17 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive