I’m going to bet most of you have never heard of Encruzado. Don’t feel weird about that; I hadn’t heard of it either until I started doing a deep dive into Portuguese wines. It’s nearly impossible to buy in the United States, even online. It either is always “sold out” or it is not an option. So fear not, you have another excuse to get yourself to Portugal!
Encruzado is the benchmark white wine of the Dão region. While the majority of Encruzado plantings are found in the Dão, limited plantings of Encruzado can be found in the surrounding regions.
Encruzado is one of the most important white grapes in Portugal. I’d say partly due to its aging potential and partly due to the fact that it can make very elegant and complex high-quality wines. It’s a grape that is hard to compare it to anything else. It really stands out from everything I’ve experienced before. I also feel like when we compare wines to each other we dumb their uniqueness down. I know I am guilty of doing this, but I’m trying to be more mindful to stop doing it.
Encruzado typically features aromas of lemon, apples, and stone fruit. You’ll also find hints of grapefruit and rose petals. It has a crisp minerality and a salty finish. The wines possess mouthwatering acidity and have a body ranging from medium to full. You’ll find unoaked and oaked versions of the wine. Both styles are lovely. Depending on how the winemakers make the wines, you may also find them to be creamy with hints of spice and smoke. In the unoaked versions, the wines are fresh, crisp, and full of vibrant fruit flavors. These white wines are exciting because they have the potential to age for years. Over time, they become unique, complex, and beautiful. In aged encruzado wines, you can find flavors of hazelnuts, vanilla, resin, and honey. The wines can be spectacular, young or old, unoaked or oaked.
The grape thrives in the Dão because of the long, hot summers and cool nights. Winters here can be tough and unpredictable. However, they also create ideal conditions for great wines. Granite mountains protect the area on three sides. Granite happens to be the exact soil type to make encruzado thrive. Granite drains well, which adds to the wine’s mineral quality. It also adds structure to the wine. In the eastern area of the region, there is slate soil, which is also ideal for Encruzado to thrive. This soil leads to salinity and structure in the wines.
When you come across an Encruzado wine, think about its minerality, acidity, and salinity to help you choose the perfect food pairings. It pairs perfectly with shellfish, grilled fish, poultry, and creamy pasta dishes.
