Wine & Cheese Place has the widest selection of Portuguese wines in Missouri. Our importer, based out of Brooklyn, NYC, has turned us on to some really incredible values that have turned into top-sellers. I am talking about wines like the spritzy Sol Real Vinho Verde, the amazing QPR Jackpot Red Blend, and the intense and minerally Requeiro White Blend (new vintage just landed, btw!). None of these wine top $15, making them great everyday wines.
But these wines are only a portion of our importer's portfolio. They bring in top-tier producers at much higher price points as well. While we are sometimes hesitant to take chances on some of these wines, we were sent a sample bottle of Quinta das Cerejeiras Grande Reserva White and could not pass it up. At $55 it is by no means the most expensive wine in the store, but it certainly stands out as the most expensive table white from Portugal that we have ever carried.
The wine arrived last week and I was talking to one of our regulars about it. They were kind enough to buy a bottle to share with the Kirkwood staff. To my amazement, the wine was even better than the first time we tried it. As the wine opened up, some pretty lofty comparisons were made - Meursault was thrown out there, as was Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, and even Sine Qua Non White, which is one of California's most sought-after whites! So, even though this wine does not come with an every night price tag, certainly punches above its weight limit given the company it was equated with.
About the wine: Located just 40 minutes from Lisbon, Quinta das Cerejeiras is known for producing some of the finest DOC Óbidos wines. This blend of Chardonnay (50%), Arinto (40%), Vital (10%) is 8 months in French oak and 4 months in steel vats. As mentioned in the customer/staff comments above, it somehow has characteristics of both a Rhone White and a fine Burgundy, a feat that I thought only famed French producer Lucien Le Moine could pull off. It boasts ripe orchard fruits, a kind of waxy texture, and a super minerally finish.
It is truly an exceptional bottle that I encourage you to try with a meal like pecan crusted salmon or fatty tuna. As they say in Portugal, "Saúde"!