Featured in the selection of the month.

Recommended by Steven Spurrier

Well integrated, smoky vanillin oak on a creamily lithe, muscular palate with crystalline grapey, lemony fruit and salty, green olive and floral nunances. Good drive and length; stony mineral finish.

The 2013 Branco Procura is revisited this issue. It has simply blossomed with time. Sourced from Portalegre, it is an Old Vines field blend (60-year-old vines from a high altitude site) aged for eight months in 5-year-old French oak. It comes in at 13% alcohol. Showing grip and power, this steely wine has hints of metal and stones–and perhaps just a bit of reduction. With no new oak, the acidity slashes through the modest wood easily and lets this preen in its concentration and intensity. Susana told me that she thinks this just might have 20 years of aging potential. Always conservative in such things and noting that the winery has no track record, let's exercise a little caution and reevaluate in time. It should hold nicely, though. Acidity preserves. There were just 1,700 bottles produced.