Vale da Capucha Arinto Branco 2019

Vale da Capucha Arinto Branco 2019 Natural/Organic portuguese wine from the Lisboa region. One of Pedro Marques flagship wines and in our opinion one of the finest examples of Arinto that Portugal has to offer. It is a serious, age worthy white that emphasizes salinity, texture and terroir rather than being overtly fruity

The Vineyard is planted on kimmeridgian limestone and clay soils about 9km from the Atlantic giving the wine a distinctly chalky maritime character. Grapes are hand harvested and there is a gentle whole bunch pressing and natural settling of suspended solid particles for around 12 hours. The fermentation is using indigenous yeasts and takes place in 500 litre oak barrels. The wine is then aged on the fine lees for 22 months without any battonage (stirring)

The wine itself has some wild aromas of green seaweed, wet stone, lemon zest, white flowers and some herbaceous notes. The palate is bone dry, has an intense saline, chalky minerality about it and could draw some comparison with a high quaklity chablis from the limestone soils and restrained style. Pairswell with Oysters, Lobster, Scallops and hard sheeps milk cheeses

Vale da Capucha was started on the family property by Pedro Marques and his brother within the Torres Vedras DOC, 45 minutes northwest of Lisbon, and only 10 kilometres from the Atlantic.

The vineyards lie on slopes above the family estate on a vein of Kimmeridgian Limestone and enjoys a very temperate Atlantic climate, with cool breezes and lower night time temps. In essence, the region Torres Vedras resembles Muscadet more than Rioja and this has a huge influence on the wines.  

All the 13 hectares of vines are farmed organically and planted to local varieties.  Fermentations and cellar work is all natural and by hand and the results are compelling, delicious, profound and deep wines with great balance.  The Arinto is the most interesting and tasty example of this grape we have come across.  Often, it is grape made light and neutral as an alternative to the very successful Vinho Verde.  Here we have something completely different, 2019 vintage, 14.5% abv and a deeply satisfying wine for rich flavours, and serious drinking.