Royal Oporto White Porto

This is a White Port from Royal Oporto, the flagship brand of Real Companhia Velha, the Oldest wine company in Portugal, chartered in 1756. It is made from white Douro varieties such as Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Rabigato and Viosinho grown on the company's own quintas, fortified with grape spirit in the same way as red Port.

Unlike the decades of oxidation given to Old Tawnies, this white spends a short spell of around 18 months in oak vats. That brief wood ageing softens the wine and adds a light nutty note while keeping the fruit fresh, leaving a medium-bodied style that sits between fully dry and gently sweet.

The colour is a pale straw-yellow, with ripe orchard fruit, hazelnut and a touch of honey on the nose. The palate is balanced and lightly sweet with a clean finish, which is why it works best well chilled as an aperitif, poured long over ice with tonic and a twist of lemon, or served beside salted almonds and olives.