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Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Clay Pot White Wine From Portugal's Alentejo

Portuguese wines are a treat, whether you're drinking a wonderful Porto or a still wine from the Douro Valley. Today's wine is from the Alentejo region in the south of Portugal.

The 2024 Rocim Amphora Vinho Branco Alentejo DOC is a white wine, made in the ancient traditional method. Fermentation took place at the grapes' pace, in clay pots, with no temperature control, using indigenous yeasts, and with no adjustments made to the juice. They let the grapes speak for themselves.

The grapes in question were 40% Antão Vaz, 20% Perrum, 20% Rabo de Ovelha, and 20% Manteudo, all grown in Portugal's Alentejo region. Antão Vaz is a white grape with thick skin, which loves hot weather. You may know Perrum under its Spanish name, Pedro Ximénez. Rabo de Ovelha translates as "sheep’s tail" in Portuguese, for the way the grape bunches look. Manteudo is another thick-skinned grape native to Alentejo. Alcohol is quite low, at 11.5% abv, and the retail price is around $20.

This wine is a golden yellow in the glass. The nose shows minerals, apples, stone fruit, and salinity with a lanolin backbeat. The palate has those same traits, but leans a bit heavier into the salinity. The acidity is fresh, but not razor-sharp. It finishes medium long. I paired mine with a lentil and sweet potato salad, with a good result. 


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