13 Nov Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Flor de Nelas Emiliano Campos Encruzado Branco 2015, Dao, Portugal

Looking at the glass, the wine is a citrus yellow color. When you stick your nose in the glass, you would be hard pressed not to guess the wine was a Chablis or a White Burgundy. But, it is not a Chardonnay and it is not a French wine. It is Encruzado from the Dão region in Portugal and the Flor de Nelas Emiliano Campos Encruzado Branco 2015, Dao, Portugal is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

The Dão region is in the heart of Portugal, located just over an hour south of the city of Porto. One of the primary white grapes indigenous to the region is Encruzado which thrives in the granite soils of the Dão. Encruzado is capable of producing exceptional white wines that can easily be mistaken for a Premier Cru Chablis.

The Flor de Nelas Emiliano Campos Encruzado Branco 2015 is fermented over 45 days and then aged in oak barrels for four months. The resulting wine is aromatic with notes of lemon, stone fruit and melon with floral overtones. On the palate, the wine is fresh with a textural mouthfeel and beautiful acidity. There is also a lot of minerality in this wine.

This is a wine that will pair beautifully with white fish, such as sea bass with a buttery sauce, creamy risottos, polenta and roasted root vegetables. This wine will also make a lovely pairing with semi-soft and mild washed rind cheeses.

If you are a fan of white Burgundy, try the Flor de Nelas Emiliano Campos Encruzado Branco 2015, Dao, Portugal. And, to make it even better, this elegant and beautifully textured wine retails for approximately $25.