Covela Edição Nacional Avesso 2023

The 2019 Avesso Covela is dry, with two grams of sugar and 7.7 grams of total acidity. It comes in at 12.5% alcohol. This is the regular, i.e., unoaked, Avesso. Showing off the big acidity that this vintage often delivers, this has reasonable body but better structure. There’s a bracing and juicy finish. In style, this is very much like the Arinto this issue – that might be even sharper, while this might have a touch more fruit, but it’s close and similar. They are both pretty terrific and nice values. It remains to be seen how they age, but I think they will handle themselves well. Drink date: 2020-2025. (Mark Squires,robertparker.com,Sept. 30, 2020)