Cardo White 2023
Price: $16.95
Channel: LCBO Vintages
Producer: Quinta do Cardo
Country: Portugal
Region: Castelo Rodrigo
Appellation: DOC Biera Interior
Grapes: Síria
Alcohol by Volume: 12.5%
Sugar Content: 2 grams per litre
I wrote about Artur Gama at in this piece for The Hub when I met him in Toronto in the fall of 2023. The Lisbon-area winemaker was showing wines from his new, high altitude project further north in the Upper Douro. It was called Cardo for the thistles that grew in the vineyards at 750 meters above sea level. The wines from Cardo were elegant but spirited, energized and definitely food friendly, and the name in of the winery stuck in my head.
I was surprised to see a Cardo in the latest LCBO Vintages release, and even more (pleasantly) surprised to see one for under $20. I had imagined the Cardo wines as all high-end restaurant only boutique bottles. What, would this entry level white be like?
It would be delicious is what it would be like, and one of the best value whites to come through the LCBO system in a while. This is a low alcohol (12%) subtly elegant white, with white flower aromatics and soft citrus character. It makes a lovely aperitif; highly recommended.