Sarah Ahmed, Nelson Guerreiro and Joanna Locke MW tasted 109 wines with 1 Exceptional, 4 Outstanding and 30 Highly recommended.
Portuguese whites: Panel tasting scores
109 wines tasted
Exceptional 1
Outstanding 4
Highly recommended 30
Recommended 55
Commended 17
Fair 2
Poor 0
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-release dry white wines from any region in Portugal other than Vinho Verde, and produced using native Portuguese white grapes only, including single-varietal wines or blends
Portugal has an exceptional diversity of grape varieties and terroir, making this panel tasting a stylistic smorgasbord. The standard of the country’s white wines has improved exponentially in the last decade. With a good 76% of wines here earning Highly recommended or Recommended ratings, the quality base was broad and the apex high. Expect to drink well from Portugal and expect to drink interesting, food-friendly wines from native grapes, which tend to a dry, rather than fruit-driven, profile.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Portuguese whites panel tasting
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ZW1ha2VycyByZW1haW4gd2l0aGluIHJlYWNoLCByZXByZXNlbnRpbmcgc21hcnQgYnV5cyBmb3IgY29ubm9pc3NldXJzLjwvcD4KPGhyPgo8cD4K"}
Portuguese whites panel tasting scores
Wines were tasted blind
{}
{"wineId":"80293","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80295","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80294","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80297","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80296","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80298","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80299","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80300","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80301","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80302","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80303","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80304","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80305","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80306","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
The judges
Nelson Guerreiro is a certified sommelier currently working as brand ambassador for prominent Italian producers at renowned Portuguese merchant Garrafeira Nacional, as well as a wine educator at the Turismo de Portugal schools.
Sarah Ahmed is an awarded wine writer, educator and judge with a focus on Portugal. The DWWA Regional Chair for Portugal, she is a Cavaleiro of the Confraria do Vinho do Porto and writes a monthly column for Revista de Vinhos.
Joanna Locke MW is a wine buyer for The Wine Society, responsible for sourcing wines from Alsace, the Loire and Portugal. Previously a buyer for Thresher group from 1991, she joined importer John E Fells in 2000, then moved to The Wine Society in 2004.
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