Palpite Branco 2019

The 2019 Palpite Reserva Branco is a blend of Arinto (63%), Tamarez (7%) and the rest a field blend. It was aged for 15 months in 20% new French barrels. It is very dry (less than a gram of residual sugar) and comes in at 13.5% alcohol. While the winery trots out a wave of unusual whites these days, this is the old tried-and-true standby in a more familiar style, even if the blend has changed a bit with the acquisition of a new vineyard in 2018. Fresh, elegant and clean, this is a classic wood-aged food wine. It's easy to drink, textured and finishes well. It's a reliable old friend among a slew of different labels. There were 8,200 bottles produced.