1994 Poco do Lobo Arinto
Regular price $60.00
Unit price per
In 2013 the Costa family, owners of Caves San João in Portugal, decided to open their cellars up and begin to release wines that have aged on site. Vintages ranged from 1959 to 2000. The dominant white variety in coastal Barraida is Arinto. In its youth Arinto has a sharp acidity that begs to be given time in bottle. Having these wines arrive directly to Ohio this year from Caves San João is a fortune that simply does not exist today in the world of wine.
1994 was a particularly stellar year for Arinto in Portugal's coastal Barraida zone. Vines were planted in 1950 on a mix of limestone and clay that endows this high acid variety a serious sense of grace. To bring some flesh and texture the white Arinto grapes are partially fermented on their skins. And instead of aging in oak, this is exclusively aged in cement tanks, an important element as to why at 28 years old this white still carries a relatively pale hue and wicked amount of tension.
The 1994 Arinto Poço do Lobo is another fascinating old white from this winery's old inventory. Bright and a little intense, this is a lively white despite its age, with a dried-honey finish that lingers. It has surprising tension on the finish too. The grip on the finish is remarkable relative to its age, actually. This is certainly also mature and complex, but that you'd expect. I'm not sure I liked this quite as much as the last one I saw (the 1995), granting that they are not side by side, but it is still an intriguing and exceptional white. This is a fine experience at a nice price considering its age and provenance. Bairrada whites can age (as do the reds). This still has plenty of life left, maybe much more than anticipated, but let's be cautious. -Mark Squires, Aug 2018
Reviewed by: The Wine Advocate - 92 pts