Best Buys $10 And Under

Organic

#41 on The Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2023!

90 points Wine Spectator
There's a flinty underpinning to this fragrant white, which shows a succulent range of ripe apricot, blood orange, white blossoms, lemon peel and pickled ginger. Sleek and linear, with a hint of saline on the finish. Alvarinho and Trajadura. Drink now

#81 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2024!

90 points Wine Spectator
Bright, buoyant acidity supports a pretty mix of ripe nectarine, Gala apple, blood orange pith and almond blossoms in this lithe, light-bodied white, with a salty undertow. Drink now.

This is an incredible buy in crisp refreshing white wines. Their Alvarinho is citrus in color, aromas reveal classic tropical and mineral notes. The wine is clean and fresh on the palate with a subtle intensity about it. The bright acidity makes this quite refreshing and easy to drink which is ideal as an aperitif or to accompany seafood dishes, fish or poultry dishes.

Hot days and cold nights, not only makes for good sleeping weather but also ideal for growing Alvarinho. This Portuguese grape thrives in those conditions, producing wines with open aromatics, round balanced fruit, and tart racy acidity.

Melgaco, the most northern region of Portugal, is protected by the surrounding mountains that allow a perfect marriage between rainfall, temperature and the number of hours of sunshine needed for the better maturation of the Alvarinho grapes. This climate characteristic during ripening is frequently associated with the microclimate of Moncao and Melgaco, where hot days alternate with cold nights. Soalheiro is perfectly situated to take full advantage of this.

A light, delicate pink hue with a lively effervescent palate. Fruit forward and delicious without being sweet.

Light straw. Perfumed, spicy aromas of ginger, quinine, lime zest and jasmine. Offers excellent energy on the palate, with pronounced spicy ginger lifting the fruit flavors of tangerine and fresh pear. A wonderfully fresh rendition of Vinho Verde, with good purity and precision. - IWC88

Organic / Natural

The wine is made in a the very typical and traditional way for the region. Wild yeasts are used and the wine is bottled before it is dry with some residual sugar and the fine lees. The wine then re-ferments in the bottle leaving a little bit of spritz and a cloudy appearance. No sulphur is used so malo also takes place in the bottle.

This mineral aromatic delight bursting with grapefruit, stone fruit, and jasmine notes takes the 100% Alvarinho up a notch. Elegant, with a creamier silkier mouth feel than expected from this varietal, and with enough persistent acidity to lead through any meal.

Organic

92+ points Wine Advocate
The very young and just bottled 2024 Dócil, still undeveloped, is closer to the original idea to produce a kind of Kabinett trocken with Loureiro grapes with contained ripeness and high acidity counterbalanced by a little residual sugar, only around three grams; they experimented from completely dry to 18 grams, and this is the one they liked the most in terms of balance. They did a soft pressing, no maceration, to have elegance and a little volume. It has very good balance. The source of the grapes changed to a more Atlantic location from this vintage, and the year was also cooler than 2022.

Organic

Dry farmed, sustainable/non-certified organic. Azahar is officially certified as a “vinhos atlánticos,” which guarantees the vineyard must be within close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, and see direct maritime influence. Viticulture is a combination of single cordon and traditional pergola style.

Hand-picked fruit is destemmed and crushed and pressed. The juice is fermented, some lots are co-fermented in cement vats and others in stainless steel. 100% fermentation and aging on the lees in concrete vats with no battonage. Native fermentation traditionally lasts 1 month, after which the wine rests on lees for 6 months. After racking off of lees the wine is filtered, and no CO2 is added. Minimal SO2 is added before bottling.

Green figs coated with sea spray, tart granny smith apple and hints of lemon verbena. Azahar is a serious departure from traditional, stylized VV, packing complex texture and bracing acidity on the palate. Given the varietal composition and fermentation style, the wine should age well for 5-6 years