Montes Ermos Branco Reserva 2015

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One of the best things you can experience with wine is a positive surprise. I have to confess that with this Montes Ermos  it was a completely blind shot.

I knew nothing about its producer, nor from the wine itself. But as soon as I have opened it, I could barely hold my happiness.

Its fine green and rather pale colour embodies perfectly its strong minerality and involving citrus taste.

The taste of wood reinforces its structure making it a well bodied wine, perfect for elaborated foods.

In the label they refer to the perfect expression of the "Freixenist terroir", referring to Freixo de Espada à Cinta, the place where the wine is coming from. Located in the Upper Douro region and produced exclusively with grapes planted over 600 meters, it really is an unique terroir that we can feel through this wine.

Maybe it's just the power of suggestion, but I would even say you can feel the foggy autumn mornings of Trás-os-Montes in this wine. 

To accompany it, I would suggest some William Blake, To Autumn:

O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stained
With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my shady roof; there thou mayst rest,
And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe,
And all the daughters of the year shall dance!
Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.

"The narrow bud opens her beauties to
The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;
Blossoms hang round the brows of Morning, and
Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve,
Till clust'ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And feather'd clouds strew flowers round her head.

"The spirits of the air live on the smells
Of fruit; and Joy, with pinions light, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees."
Thus sang the jolly Autumn as he sat;
Then rose, girded himself, and o'er the bleak
Hills fled from our sight; but left his golden load.



16,5 / 20

Country: Portugal
Region: Douro
Grapes: Códega do Larinho, Viosinho, Rabigato
14%
Winemaker: Rui Madeira
Website: https://www.montesermos.com/pt/#d_r_b-w
Location: Hamburgo, Alemanha

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