NV Alves de Sousa Porto 10 Year Old White Quinta da Gaivosa

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 89.3 points

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  3/19/2022 - forceberry wrote: 87 Points

  A blend of very old-vine (80 yo) Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Viosinho and other local white varieties from interplanted vineyards. Vinified like a red Port by letting the grape skins macerate in the fermenting wine for 3-4 days before halting the fermentation with 77% ABV aguardente. Blended from multiple lots aged for an average of 10 years in French oak barrels. 19,5% alcohol.
  
  Medium-deep bronze color. Rich and quite unctuous nose of molasses and dried apricots, some oxidative nutty tones, a little bit of ripe pineapple, light boozy notes of alcohol, a hint of caramel and a touch of Sultana raisins. The wine is rich, sweet and full-bodied on the palate with complex flavors of Sultana raisins and dried nectarine, some fruit cocktail tones, a little bit of caramel, light oxidative notes of chopped nuts and a warming hint of alcohol. The low acidity makes the wine feel very soft and round, even moderately flabby. The finish is rich, sweet and somewhat warm with a long aftertaste of honey, roasted nuts, some dried peach, a little bit of overripe pineapple, light orange marmalade tones, a hint of caramel and a touch of boozy alcohol.
  
  A juicy, very rich and enjoyably complex white Port that would otherwise be very balanced, if it weren't for the noticeably low level of acidity, which makes the wine ultimately feel a bit blowzy, despite its complex, slightly oxidative flavors. With a bit more acidity this wine would have enough structure to keep it all together while lending the wine a balancing streak of freshness, but now the wine feels a bit overburdened by the big, concentrated body and the residual sugar that starts to get a bit hefty after a little while. All in all, good and complex stuff, but not anything exceptional.

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  9/25/2018 - AndrewSGHall wrote:

  Fuck me sideways. Beautiful and canonical for white port. Tangelo peel and cognac and curaçao just rolling out of the glass. Great palate with soft sweetness with ice ice notes. Amazing. Hits a total cocktail perfection vibe with even the alcohol element providing an essential tone. Stone fruits, citrus skin, fruit cake bling. A fucking beauty of construction. Boom!

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