Bucelas (aka Bucellas) used to be very popular in England during the Victorian age after Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington "discovered" it and started importing vast quantities to England. It was called "Portuguese Hock" (and Hock comes from Hochheim in Rheingau and was used as a generic term for German white wine), presumably because of its similarities to Riesling. Then, like so many good things from Portugal, it was pretty much forgotten and remains so today. And as if being lost from general vinous consciousness weren't enough, Bucelas is situated just north of Lisbon and so is threatened by urban sprawl. At its worst in the 1970s there was only one producer in Bucelas - I guess things must brighter today since we even got a Bucelas in Finland! I always like trying these forgotten areas and grapes (Bucelas allows the white grapes Arinto and Esgana cão); and sometimes, like with this wine, curiosity brings a small treat. This is by no means a grand wine, but it was very pleasurable with a chunk of Coregonus lavaretus -white fish with some new potatoes and fresh herbs.
Caves Velhas Bucellas 2011 - Portugal, Estremadura, Bucelas
9,78€; 12,5% abv; 100% Arinto. A nice little wine. It smells strongly mineral on opening, but sadly that slight and pleasing reductive character blows off pretty quickly. Instead slight hints of a cold fermentation appear in the form of a slight pear drop aroma. But it's a nice wine despite this with ripe, yellow stone fruit aromas, good bite, high acidity and a general character of bracing crispness coupled to ripe fruit. Fun. At this price it's certainly a wine to buy again.