Luis Seabra Xisto Cru Branco 2023 Wine (75cl)

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Drink it now or cellar for up to 15 years. No need to decant but best to open it half an hour before service. After working at Niepoort winery for over 10 years, Luis Seabra began producing his own wines in 2012. Today, his company makes high-quality Portuguese wines with a philosophy firmly focused on the pure expression of terroir. Xisto Cru Branco is a blend of mostly Rabigato, with roughly equal additions of Codega, Gouveio, and Viosinho Dozelino Branco. The grapes come from two parcels located between 650 and 700 meters above sea level in the Cima Corgo subzone, in the eastern Douro, near the Spanish border. Here, the vines, planted between 1920 and 1933, are sustainably cultivated on micaceous schist soils and benefit from significant temperature variations that favor slow ripening and the development of pronounced acidity. After harvesting and spontaneous fermentation in used barrels, the wine ages for nine months on the lees and then for a further year in used French oak barrels. The result is a taut and intense wine, revealing a fresh and fragrant aromatic profile on the nose with notes of peach and lemon zest, followed by floral and Mediterranean herb aromas with a touch of minerality. On the palate, it is juicy, concentrated, and vibrant. It has bright acidity and a medium-light body. The finish is long and recalls mineral notes. It pairs beautifully with oysters and shellfish, sushi, and goat cheese salads.