I have a quick Vinho Verde review for you tonight.
The wine is called Las Lilas and comes from a fairly small vineyard (14 hectares) along the beautiful Douro river in northern Portugal.
As I’ve mentioned before, Vinho Verde has a range of styles and a range of possible grapes from which it can be made. This one is made with Loureiro and Treixadura grapes and has is made with a slight frizzante or prickle. Some Vinho Verde snobs think that only the crappy wines are made with a frizzante and the better wines are made totally still. While I agree that some of the still Vinho Verde wines are spectacular, I do also like these cheap ones with the prickle.
A wine like this is easy to drink and the lower alcohol level allows you to have a few more sips before you’ve had too much.
Bright floral, peach, orange marmalade and mango aromas make this a lively Vinho Verde. This lively mood of this one energizes you versus just relaxing you. On the palate, peach flavor is the featured player with melon and pear rounding it out. It has just enough sparkling prickle to liven up the mouth feel. Most importantly, this wine wins on deliciousness.
Wine: Las Lilas Vinho Verde
Variety: Loureiro and Treixadura
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: 10%
Rating: 87
Price: $9.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.