Churchill's Dry White Port

The NV Dry White Port is a field blend aged for ten years in wood. Although a field blend with typical regional white grapes, I'm told it does emphasize Malvasia. It comes in with just 40 grams per liter of residual sugar. In perception, it is mostly dry, but not austere. There is just a bit of a tinge of sugar on the finish as it warms, but if you taste it next to a Devesa (also reviewed), you'll see the difference between "dry" and "sweet" in this category. Dry White Ports may be even more unfamiliar to consumers than the sweet ones, but this is very nice and well worth a look. I am not usually as fond of the very dry ones, just as a matter of personal taste, but I liked it a lot. Opening with a whiff of brandy up front, it shows fine concentration and grip on the finish. Its brooding demeanor moderates as it airs out and warms, cut by just a bit of that sugar. It is tightly wound and very focused. I'm not sure this will be as fun to drink on its own as some of the sweeter ones, but it certainly can be used that way. However, it may be an even better pairing for certain types of cheeses and other foods. Experiment a bit--for some pairings this may be the missing link. This was bottled in May 2015 with a bar top cork. Note that the bottle I saw had no bottling date. The winery advised that that the labels would indicate such as I normally do not review NV bottles without some unique identifier.

Initial sweetness, followed by attractive soft fruit, this is a rich, balanced wine, golden in color. In addition to the richness, there is good fresh acidity, a layer of old wood that adds complexity. Very stylish.