ORGANIC Esporão Private Selection White

Tasting Notes BIO Esporão Private Selection White

In the glass, the wine shimmers with a clear, straw-yellow color and a hint of green at the rim. The nose opens intensely and in layers: juicy apricots, ripe lemon, pineapple, and peach are framed by roasted almonds, white pepper, nutmeg, and a subtle hint of vanilla and toast from the oak. The taste is rich and mouth-filling with a velvety texture. Despite its creaminess, the wine remains perfectly balanced by its fresh acidity. The finish is long, spicy, and subtly creamy, with a pleasant bitterness that gives the wine extra depth.

Wine & Food Pairing

This organic Esporão Private Selection White pairs perfectly with: grilled sea bass with beurre blanc, scallops with cauliflower cream, chicken in tarragon sauce, or even a vegetarian risotto with parmesan and lemon. Also surprisingly good with Japanese tempura or tuna tataki. Due to its structure and use of wood, it can even handle lightly aged cheeses.

Additional information

This is the premium white wine from the Portuguese winery Esporão.

In the heart of the warm, expansive Alentejo in Southern Portugal lies the winery Herdade do Esporão, an estate that has been making a name for itself since the 1980s with quality wines that strike a balance between tradition and innovation. The Private Selection White is the flagship, perfectly reflecting this: powerful, elegant, and unusual for the region, thanks in part to the use of the rare Sémillon grape. Unprecedented in Portugal, but masterfully brought to life here.

The Private Selection White originated in 2001 from the vision of winemaker David Baverstock, who brought his Australian experience with Sémillon. The specific parcel for this wine is cool enough to preserve the freshness in the grape, despite the warm climate. This ensures that the wine remains both ripe and vibrant – a rare combination in this region.

The grapes are harvested by hand early in the morning, when they are still cool. After a gentle pressing, the juice is transferred to French oak barrels of 500–550 liters, where alcoholic fermentation takes place at a low temperature (~18 °C). The wine then ages for 6 months on its fine lees, with regular bâtonnage (stirring) to build structure. This is followed by another 6 months of bottle aging before the wine is released to the market.

Awards/Distinctions

• 95 points – Wine Enthusiast (2022 vintage)

• 93 points – Wine Enthusiast (2020 vintage)

• 92 points – Wine Enthusiast (2017 vintage)

• 91 points – Wine Enthusiast (2021 vintage)