May 2025 Blanco y Branco Club

Sierra Cantabria 2022 Organza Blanco Regular Price: $39.99 Club Price: $33.99 Buy Now

Lorem Ipsum Dolor

Casa de Mouraz 2022 Dão Encruzado Regular Price: $29.99 Club Price: $25.99 Buy Now

Between wine professionals, there exists an informal genre of wine that is affectionately referred to as ‘the Salty White Wine Club’. Unfortunately, this is not one of our actual Wine Clubs at TST, but is instead a faux-genre of bright, saline, mineral-driven white wines that are perfect for warm days and fresh seafood. It can also refer to the people that enjoy them. Many of our readers are likely already aware of many of the wines that are quietly a part of this genre: Albariño, Vermentino, and Chablis to name a few. Less of our readers may be familiar with Encruzado for the Dão, which offers some of the best value for the dollar within the genre.

What better way to express the personality of the grape than to look towards a wine from a small, sustainably farmed, producer? Casa de Mouraz began as a labor of love adventure when Sara Dionísio and António Ribeiro left their secure, city jobs in Lisbon to set up shop in the verdant Dão wine region to the north. The settled on 25 hectares of vines that had been ECOCERT sustainably certified since 1996 and by 2006 the two had completely converted their plots to biodynamic farming: the most rigorous organic and environmentally-friendly certification in viticulture. It also creates wines of distinct freshness and vibrancy. 

Most people think of the bombastic Douros or spritzy Vinho Verdes when they think of Portuguese wine. However the Dão region represents a lot of elegance, finesse and value to us at TST.  The climate and the traditional grape varietals lean towards the production of much brighter and more delicate styles of wine. 

No better is this exemplified than in this month’s Blanco y Branco #2 wine. Casa de Mouraz’s Encruzado comes from a few all-granite plots which provide both excellent drainage and concentration of fruit. The grapes are fermented by natural spontaneous yeasts, and the wine is rested on the lees (the dead yeast cells) for 6 months before bottling. Routine battonage, or stirring of the lees, adds mid-palate roundness and length to the textural experience of the wine. The wine is dry, lies at a modest 13% abv, and is a delight to drink. Honey, assorted citrus flowers, fresh Asian pear, and wet stone make up the core tasting notes of the wine, while zippy acidity keeps wine energetic and light on it’s feet. The finish is tart, and has a distinct chestnut flower note (we’re not kidding). Full of character, but very delicately expressed, this wine would love a charcuterie party or pulpo a la gallega con patatas.