Pato & Wouters D.N.M.C. Bical & Arinto Branco 2023
$55.00 inc. GST
AROMA: The nose reminds pear (typical for the Bical grape) with some hints of iode and a certain spiciness (thyme and rosemary).
PALATE: The mouth is refined, creamy, relatively smooth and has present minerality, a kind of saltiness due to the typical Atlantic climate. The middle palate is fruit-driven and the aftertaste is dry and refreshing with a lingering acidity.
FOOD MATCH: Great with fresh goat and sheep cheeses
Grape Variety: 80% Bical and 20% Arinto
Drinking window: 2021-2030
Alc. 11,50%
16 in stock
Description
Filipa Pato and William Wouters are a husband-and-wife winemaking duo from Bairrada, Portugal, known for their “authentic wines, without make-up”. Their philosophy centers on using indigenous grapes, biodynamic viticultural practices, and minimal intervention to create wines that express the unique terroir of their vineyards.
A blend of 80% Bical and 20% Arinto grown in calcareous clay soils. 10% of the juice ferments in 500L casks; the other 90% is fermented in tank. Final blend and bottling in spring after 5-6 months’ aging. The grapes are handpicked from different vineyards located on midslopes with eastern orientation to the sun and a very intense Atlantic influence (only 15 km from the ocean).Bical is harvested in the beginning of September, the Arinto on the other hand, matures later and is harvested 2 –3 weeks later. Vinification happens separately. Whole bunches are pressed, then fermented with indigenous yeast in temperature controlled tank, 10% is fermented in casks of French oak (500 –600 lt). The wine matures on the lees without batonnage, and stabilizes naturally during the cold winter. The final blend is made in early springtime when the wine is stable. Farming Practice: Practicing Biodynamic.
Additional Information
| size | |
|---|---|
| brand | |
| vintage | 2022 |
| biodynamic | conversion |
Reviews / Awards / Ratings
Jancis Robinson
Pato & Wouters D.N.M.C. Bical & Arinto Branco 2023 – 16.50 / 20 Points
WINE OF THE WEEK. Fruit is sourced from their own vineyards that are being converted to biodynamics as well as some of their neighbour’s vineyards. Bical ripens 2–3 weeks earlier than Arinto, so each variety is vinified separately, whole-cluster pressed and fermented spontaneously (10% in 500-litre French oak barrels, the rest in tank). Blended then left 2 months in tank. TA 4.75 g/l, RS 1.6 g/l.
This tastes like liquid minerals, lean, clean, sparkly and saline, like light glinting off fleur de sel, if that light had a flavour. As lean and light as it is (it’s only 11.5% alcohol) it’s entirely satisfying, mouth-filling even as it’s near-weightless. There’s a hint of salted lemon, a bit of cold pear and blanched almond. The richness no doubt comes in part from the time on the lees, but it’s not overtly leesy. It just feels natural and like a liquid picture of a cool, fresh place – an especially delicious one.
– Tara Q Thomas
