A more obscure grape varietal - Encruzado (Salgueirinho) - from Portugal, this deserves a try if only for that.

Very pale yellow, almost clear.

On the nose, fresh hay, cut grass, wet chalk. The fruit isn't very prevalent, though after some time it opens up to reveal yellow plums.

On the palate, the 14% alcohol is fairly well balanced. Creamy and lush in the mouth, with tart stone fruit and a hint of white pepper. Finish shorter than I expected (short+), the most lingering aspect being bitter almond. The fruit is stronger in tasting, leaning to tropical - but a bit more fruit would be appreciated for complexity.