The most perfumed of the Vinho Verde grapes — its very name evokes the bay laurel — Loureiro gives the region's fresh, low-alcohol whites their lift of orange blossom and citrus. Where Alvarinho brings weight and structure in the far north, Loureiro brings fragrance and drinkability across the wider Minho.
Cropped high it makes the light, faintly spritzy wine of the region's reputation; grown seriously, with lower yields, it can give a properly aromatic and textured dry white. It is the floral signature of one of Europe's most refreshing wine styles.