"This 16th-century estate was originally in the hands of the Portuguese royal family; it is now a small hotel with a vineyard, planted by the Cardadeiro family after they purchased the property in the 1990s. Their 18.5 acres of alvarinho grow on granite sands above the Minho, producing consistently exceptional wine. The 2019 starts off with plump pear flavors, adding the astringent buzz of grape skins before the tension slowly opens to raciness. There’s smoke to it, like the buttery richness of smoked sable, cleared away by the salt and cucumber notes of the acidity, lasting on delicate layers of alvarinho savor."

- Wine & Spirits Magazine (August 2021), 94 pts