Jose Maria da Fonseca Joao Pires 2023 Branco

€ 8.60

Beautiful nose of orange blossoms and peach. This dry muscat is soft and full of ripe pear and peaches. Notes of marmalade with terrific minerality and just the right amount of acidity to make this a wonderful aperitif or match for shell fish and seafood. The intense floral aroma and its fresh flavour makes it a very distinctive and balanced wine

João Pires, a superior wine produced with the Moscatel variety from Setúbal.

Its production began in the 1970s and quickly became the reference in the world of Portuguese wines

Food pairing

Delicious as an aperitif, with sushi, fish, seafood and salads

Grapes: 100% Moscatel Graudo (Moscatel de Setúbal)

This variety possibly originated in Egypt, hence the reference to Alexandria in its name. The variety was brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Phoenicians, who made wine from it. Even during the time of the Islamic occupation it was consumed as table grapes. When Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople in 1453, followed by the annexation of Greece, he put a stop to the so-called Greek wine which was shipped by Venetian merchants to England and Northern Europe. Portugal stepped into the breach, with its similarly sweet wines from Setubal (Anzoy), as did Spain, with wines from Valencia, Taragona, Malaga and Cadiz. Herrera (1511) described this wine and made reference to what Pliny the Elder called Vitis Apiana.

Alcoholcontent

12%

Store & Serve

Ready to drink now.

Serve at 8-9 °C

Critics & Awards

3,9/5 - Vivino (609 ratings)

88/100 - Decanter Tasted by: James Button (at London, 19 Jun 2024)

Made from the aromatic Muscat of Alexandria (known locally as Moscatel Graudo), this lovely white has fragrant, breezy scents of yellow plum and ripe stone fruits. In the mouth it's citrussy and pithy, with notes of white peach and orange peel. Delicious with grilled prawns or a Thai-style mango salad.

Tags: Península de Setúbal - José Maria Da Fonseca