This is a fascinating project. Daniel Afonso has vineyards right next to the Colares area, but on clay soils rather than Colares’ hallowed sandy soils. However, his wines are made very much in the Colares style – light, briny and full of Atlantic freshness.
This Arinto is quite seriously oxidative, and it’s a bit hard to say if it was completely intentional. Tasting this wine at five years old, it feels a little tired and like it had too much oxygen.
Rather waxy and evolved on the nose, still with bright acidity and saltines but tastes like a 20 years old wine, not a 5 year old. More recent vintages have been more successful, in my opinion.