Cortes de Cima & Niepoort Palhete 2023

Cortes de Cima & Niepoort Palhete 2023
Alentejo, Portugal
Category: Palhete (co-fermented red & white grapes)
Volume: 750 ml
Producer: Cortes de Cima & Niepoort

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Description
Anna Jørgensen and Daniel Niepoort embody the new wave of Portugal’s most exciting winemakers — globetrotting in their training, tasting the best the world has to offer, and returning with an open mind, a fresh perspective, and a passion for innovation. From their iconic wineries — Cortes de Cima in Alentejo and Niepoort in the Douro — they’ve joined forces to create this bold and vibrant palhete, blending Viognier and Syrah grown on limestone soils and naturally fermented in clay amphorae (talha). No additives, no tricks — just friendship, purity, and genuine passion for authentic wines.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Grape Composition & Vinification
• Grapes: 20% Syrah (whole cluster), 80% Viognier
• Co-fermentation: in clay amphora (talha)
• Ageing: on fine lees in amphora
• Certification: Organic

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Tasting Notes
A light and expressive wine bursting with vibrant aromas of raspberry, cherry, and orange blossom. The palate is bright and focused, with refreshing acidity balancing juicy fruit and a subtle creamy texture.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Style & Philosophy
A palhete that merges rustic charm with elegance, crafted with minimal intervention and showcasing a fresh, modern, food-friendly side of Alentejo.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Scores & Reviews
• 93/100 Jamie Goode
"Very bright with a hint of creaminess under the cherry and raspberry fruit with nice weight and a good acid line. Pure and fine."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Suggested Pairings
• Roasted beet salad with goat cheese
• Seared tuna with grilled vegetables
• Grilled herb-marinated chicken
• Soft cheeses

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Drinking Window
Perfect for enjoying now, served well-chilled at 10–12 °C. Ideal for warmer months or as an aperitif.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━