This delicious white blend of Rabigato and Codega de Larinho is so different from Port that it is hard to remember sometimes that these wines come from the same region. The difference between the famous vineyards at the river’s edge where red grapes are grown for heavy fortified wine and the vineyards on the plateau above the rim of the valley couldn’t be any starker. Where Quinta de Porrais’ vineyards are, there is no protection from the wind. The river is too far away to help much in tempering the heat of the summer or the cold winter storms. It’s a dry place, and vines have to dig deep into the shale and granite soil to find water. These turn out to be the perfect conditions to produce fresh, vivid and mineral driven white wine. This Douro Branco has a stunningly spicy nose up front, with white pepper, orange, lemon, rose potpourri, and salt crusted gravel. The palate is full bodied but buoyant with acidity, with accents of lemon, apple, and orange and that mineral scent never far behind. For anyone who loves great Gruner Veltliner or the spice of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, there’s a lot to love in this deceptively simple wine.