90

2020 Mimo Moutinho Portuguese Loureiro, Vinho Verde

( £6.49, 11.5%, Aldi )

Vinho Verde gets a bad rap sometimes, deservedly so in its sweeter iterations, but can be wonderful if it’s made in a pithy, dry style. This great value Loureiro from Aldi is appealingly fresh and focused, with low alcohol, lime and lemon zest flavours, a hint of carbon dioxide and a pure, tangy, Atlantic Ocean-influenced finish. Just the thing for a seafood supper.

BuyDrinking window: 2021-23Similar Wines: £5-£10, 90-94, Portugal, White, Loureiro
92

2017 Quinta do Ameal Loureiro, Ponte de Lima, Vinho Verde

( £17.50, 11.5%, The Good Wine Shop, Vin Cognito, Vinatis, Vinoteca )

At its most basic, Vinho Verde is Portugal’s quaffing white, but it can also aspire to more profound things. This is a case in point. Made solely from the Loureiro grape, it combines freshness and lightness of touch with concentration and profundity. Crisp, saline and wonderfully aromatic, with notes of fresh pine, gala melon and lemon zest, no spritz, and a long, chiselled finish. The perfect drink for a hot summer’s day.

BuyDrinking window: 2020-22Similar Wines: £15-20, 90-94, Portugal, White, Loureiro
90

2018 Tapada de Vilar, Vinho Verde

( £7, 10.5%, Marks & Spencer )

One of a number of wines at Marks & Spencer to have benefited from a new lower price, this is just the thing for the warmer weather: a light, tangy, spritzy white made from three local Portuguese grapes – Loureiro, Arinto and a splash of Trajadura – and showing lip smacking flavours of green apple, citrus peel and white pepper. Wonderfully crisp and refreshing.

BuyDrinking window: 2019-20Similar Wines: £5-£10, 90-94, Portugal, Dry, White, Arinto, Loureiro, Trajadura
87

2012 The Society's Vinho Verde, Minho

( £5.95, 11.5%, The Wine Society )

Summer may be over (at least in northern Europe), but this is still a delicously refreshing, low-alcohol Portuguese white that’s just the thing for sunny afternoons. It’s commendably cheap, too. Tangy, spritzy and zingy, it’s floral and dry with palate-tickling acidity and a citrus fruit bite. 

BuyDrinking window: 2013-14Similar Wines: £5-£10, 86-90, Portugal, White, Albariño, Loureiro