I thought I was all done with the tastings at The Fine Wine Source, but Vintage Wine Company had another wine to pull out of their sleeve.  Vintage Wine Company represents Maisons Marques & Domaines, originally the marketing arm for Champagne Louis Roederer in the United States of America, but they have since expanded their services to forty-three wineries that are both domestic and abroad.  They had a white Port to serve.

Ramos Pinto is one of the Port Houses in Portugal and was founded by Adriano Ramos Pinto in 1880.  Their portfolio is famed for their aged Tawnies, but their other offerings have increased in respect in the past years and they offer all of the typical Port styles; besides the Tawny, there is the white, ruby and LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) as well as their Vintage Ports, and they also offer a Red and a White Douro table wine.  There are four different quintas or vineyards that they own, the first was bought in 1919 and the last was added in 1985.  In 1990 they became part of the Roederer Group.

The last wine was Ramos Pinto Lagrima NV, and a White Port is offered by every major house on the Douro River.  It is not appreciated as much as the other Port offerings, because it is viewed as inexpensive and slightly sweeter compared to the red Port wines.  There are about fifty different grapes that may be used to make White Port, and only about half of the grapes that can be used are white grapes, though the red grapes are often derided for being of lesser quality.  The wines are usually not aged in wood, but in Stainless Steel or Concrete vats, and they are usually aged for about eighteen months.  Lagrima means “tears” and usually refers to a viscous, sweet style of White Port and is predominately sold on their domestic market.  This particular wine is made using Codega, Malvasia Fina (Bual or Boal) and Rabigato (Rabo de Ovelha) grapes and they are all white or light skinned grapes.  I am sorry, but I fell in love with this wine, before I really knew what it was.  The nose was oranges and chamomile tea, the taste was just ripe fruit with a finish of a light honey.  I could picture any number of times when this wine would be perfect, even with my favorite dish of foie gras; or a dessert, which I seldom have any more, unless you count a wine after dinner.  This was a wine that I had to take home with me and eventually share with my Bride and others.