The award was presented on Friday, during the event’s Gala Dinner hosted by ViniPortugal, which took place at Convento do Beato, in Lisbon. This distinction results from an evaluation made by more than 160 judges, among which were renowned international experts.

The first vintage of this wine was created in 2001 to challenge the profile of great Alentejo wines and craft a unique white wine. The result is a clear, straw coloured wine that is rich, elegant and intense, with a long finish. Notes of white pulp fruits and some fresh grapefruit stand out in the aromas, with discreet touches of toasted oak and spices. Esporão gave the challenge of illustrating the label of the 2016 vintage to photographer Duarte Belo.

The Concurso Vinhos de Portugal evaluations took place between 14 and 16 May, at CNEMA, in Santarém. 1307 wines were registered for the 2018 edition, from 372 national producers. Each wine was assessed in a blind tasting by a jury made up of wine experts, including winemakers, journalists, sommeliers and other wine-related entities.