Quinta de Porrais is a relatively small property in that part of the Douro Valley that has lately become fashionable: the canyon’s rim. More and more famous wineries and winemakers are looking up from the river’s edge to see what sort of wine they can make in the cool, windswept vineyards unsuitable for Port production. Many of these new wines fetch premium prices, and while they are often fantastic and noteworthy wines, Quinta de Porrais was up there before anyone took note, and the winery remains one of the most impressive values in Portugal – or anywhere else. The wine is a blend of Rabigato and Codega de Larinho, two classic whites of the valley with a yin of minerality and a yang of fruit. The nose is flint and pear, lemon balm, yellow apple and a little salty. The palate is apples and pears all over, minerality comes in on the finish with a steely note. The wine is fairly weighty with juicy acidity that leaves the finish fresh and lemony. A wine for shrimp, clams, scallops, or traditional Portuguese Feijoada.