NV Broadbent - Vinho Verde (750ml)
Bartholomew Broadbent grew up around wine, the son of Michael Broadbent, one of the twentieth century's most respected wine critics and auctioneers, and built his own career importing Portuguese wine to the United States. Frustrated that so many Vinho Verdes sold abroad tasted flat compared to the wine he knew in Portugal, he launched this bottling in 2005, partnering with a single reliable producer and shipping every batch in refrigerated containers to keep its signature freshness intact.
The wine is made in the Barcelos commune, drawing fruit from vineyards spread across the Braga, Barcelos, and GuimarĂ£es sub-regions of the Vinho Verde DOC along Portugal's Atlantic-influenced Minho. The blend leans on Loureiro for aroma, Trajadura for body, and a small portion of PedernĂ£ for acidity. Grapes are picked slightly underripe, pressed gently, and fermented with malolactic conversion suppressed, then given a dose of carbon dioxide at bottling to create the wine's characteristic light spritz.
Pale with a hint of green, it offers aromas of honeydew melon, cucumber, and crisp apple, with citrus running through the finish. Light-bodied at around nine percent alcohol, it's tangy, off-dry, and lively on the tongue. Serve it chilled with grilled shrimp, roast chicken, or a simple green salad.