2019 Azores Wine Company Vinha Centenaria Branco

Wine from the Portuguese Azores means an Atlantic Ocean injection. In the Azores, a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean about 1,400 kilometers west of Lisbon, wine has been made since the sixteenth century. But so little that you almost never see the wines from the Azores on the European mainland. They make around 20,000 liters per year, which is about the annual harvest in the Azores. It's all white and a lot of it is fortified with alcohol. The wine is made from typical Portuguese grapes, such as Verdelho and Arinto. What is also unknown, but certainly not unloved by the wine connoisseur, is quality because the Azores have a great climate for wine. The sea breeze ensures healthy grape vines that do not require chemical intervention. Moisture, sun and a big difference in temperature make the wines of the Azores incredibly beautiful. Without a doubt the most famous and renowned winery of the Azores is Azores Wine Company. They have perhaps one of the most unique terroirs in the world, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and at the foot of the volcanic mountain Pico.

The Vinha Centenária 2018 is a field blend (1 vineyard with different grape varieties) of vines over 100 years old, mainly Arinto dos Açores (85%), but also several others, such as Verdelho, Alicante Branco and Boal. It was aged in a 75/25 blend of stainless steel and French oak. The balance between acidity and concentration is nothing short of amazing. Only 1,740 bottles of this Vinha Centenária were produced and these bottles are all numbered. This is a wine that can be kept in the cellar until 2035+ without any problems and will certainly improve even further in the first 10 years. Can of course be drunk young, but give it some time and pour it into a large (burgundy) glass.

As with all Azores wines, the Vinha Centenaria is not a fat wine. The structure and acidity are still the biggest business cards and actually make these wines of the Azores unique. The intensity just grabs the palate. The flavor mix is also very complex. Saltiness, sea injection (not surprising because the vineyards are 100 meters from the beach) and a great minerality. According to Parker, this is the best wine in the house and is a collector's item in our opinion.