Quinta da Falorca Noblesse Oblige Encruzado 2015

The 2015 Branco Noblesse Oblige Quinta da Falorca is an Encruzado, although there is a small percentage of Malvasia (around 5%) mixed in with the old vines. It was partly (only 20% of the juice) aged for two months in new French oak, the rest in stainless steel. It comes in at 14% alcohol. This is the Noblesse Oblige white – it has a hard act to follow given how well the red has performed over the years. This late release was mostly sourced from very old vines – 70% of the grapes were from a vineyard with around 80-year-old vines, while 30% of the grapes were from a vineyard with 16-year-old vines. Drink date: 2021-2027. Score – 92. (Mark Squires, robertparker.com, April 30, 2021)