The Wine Reference🍷 SupportEncruzado grape
Encruzado is a white grape known for citrus, pear, mineral. Its best-known homes are Dão.
Origin and history
A native Portuguese grape from the Dão, long used as a blending component before growers began bottling it on its own from the 1990s.
Where it grows
Almost entirely in the Dão, central Portugal, on granite soils between the Serra da Estrela and Caramulo mountains; tiny plantings elsewhere in Portugal.
Structure
Medium to full body with fresh, firm acidity; dry, often barrel-fermented, giving a creamy, Burgundian texture.
Aromas, young and aged
Young: lemon, pear, white flowers and a flinty, mineral edge. With age: hazelnut, beeswax, toast and resinous, savoury notes.
Ageing
Good examples improve for 5–10 years, and the best barrel-fermented wines can last 15 years or more.
Good to know
Often called Portugal's answer to white Burgundy; it resists oxidation well, which suits barrel fermentation and lees ageing.
Similar white grapes
Explore all grapes in the interactive guide
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