2019 Quinta dos Roques Encruzado

Full bottle 1,350 g. Half fermented in oak and 7 months in barrel with lees stirring and half in tank.  Pale gold. Initial impression is a golden richness and cedary spice, making me think of burnished gold, but there's also a vibrant note of citrus and cedar, even orange on the day after opening. On the palate, intense, complex and mouth-filling with piercing but not excessive acidity that marries perfectly with the rich fruit. Chewy, slightly grainy texture enhances the freshness. Still a baby but the balance promises a long life ahead. The oak is barely noticeable because it is so well integrated and in harmony with the variety, balanced perfectly with the unoaked portion. Vibrant and satisfying and long. (JH)