Stars of Setúbal

5. White blends

We may mainly associate the region with its trademark Fernão Pires grape, at least for white wines, but vignerons in Portugal’s Setúbal Peninsula work with literally hundreds of white varieties. Arinto, Verdelho, Moscatel Graúdo and Antão Vaz regularly crop up in white blends, as do international superstars like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Setúbal Peninsula’s white varieties are grown all over the region; many vineyards are quite close to the ocean, and it’s very common to identify an Atlantic freshness in the wines. But generalisations aren’t always helpful here: the region is bursting with creativity and, with so many combinations of grapes to work with, winemakers have a habit of producing wines of surprising complexity and individuality.

Horácio Simões

Tradição Branco 2021

Festa RRP: £23.50

Winemakers in the Setúbal Peninsula don’t always think it’s worth bothering their consumers with too much information about the varietal make-up of their creations, and you’ll find no clues about the composition of the blend on this back label. All we know is that the vineyard is over a century old and contains a mixture of cultivars. A symphony of flavours, suggesting everything from toasted hazelnuts to lemon and sage, all enhanced with some adept use of French oak during both fermentation and ageing.

Casa Ermelinda Freitas Dona

Ermelinda Branco 2021

Atlântico RRP: £9.49

A blend of Fernão Pires, Arinto, Antão Vaz and Chardonnay, grown in sandy soils mostly associated with the peninsula’s red varieties, where the climate is more Mediterranean than Atlantic. A little oak ageing accentuates the wine’s explosion of flavours; there’s a lot to unpack here, but we identified honey and tropical fruits as well as tangerine peel and some refreshing pithy notes. It’s a great example of some of the region’s riper, more exuberant styles of white wine, and superb value for money at under £10.

Vinha dos Pardais 2021

Raymond Reynolds RRP: £14.99

Filipe Cardoso is one of the region’s most charismatic and experimental winemakers and here he proves that Sauvignon Blanc and Fernão Pires can be natural bedfellows. The blend produces a fresh, bracing wine with just a hint of Atlantic spray. The fruit may be dialled down but it’s by no means austere, revealing teasing tropical characters as it plays on the palate. A classy, structured and very persistent wine that would work with all kinds of foods but might actually live its best life as an aperitif.

Portuguese Story RRP £24

Arinto and Fernão Pires join forces in a wine that really tastes like it’s been made in the most hands-off style possible. There’s a wild, fumey edge to the aroma, which conjures up the interior of the most exciting type of garden shed, an attractive graininess to the texture, and a satisfying sting on the finish. Lots of citrus notes and a healthy sprinkle of salt make it one of those wines that will never last very long at the table once the bottle has been opened.