2011 Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Branco Bairrada

The 2011 BRANCO “VINHAS VELHAS” is a blend of Bical, Cerceal and Sercialinho. Clean and pure, with a solid core, fruitier and less piercing than the Vinha Formal, this is beautifully round and deep, yet still powerful. It has fine acidity in the background. I waffled a bit on which of Pato’s whites I liked better. Ultimately, I lean a little to the Vinha Formal, but this is terrific, some may like it better and it is a really super value. Approachable now, it still has room to improve and it should hold nicely. I won’t be surprised if this holds better than I think, but I like to be conservative in drinking windows. Drink now-2017. 91 points