Vinhos Gota "Azahar" Vinho Verde, Dao, Portugal 2024

FROM LA LUZ SELECTIONS:

THE WINE: 60% Loureiro, 40% Pederna. Dry farmed, sustainable/non-certified organic. Azahar is officially certified as a “vinhos atlánticos,” which guarantees the vineyard must be within close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, and see direct maritime influence. Viticulture is a combination of single cordon and traditional pergola style. Hand-picked fruit is destemmed and crushed and pressed. The juice is fermented, some lots are co-fermented in cement vats and others in stainless steel. 100% fermentation and aging on the lees in concrete vats with no battonage. Native fermentation traditionally lasts 1 month, after which the wine rests on lees for 6 months. After racking off of lees the wine is filtered, and no CO2 is added. Minimal SO2 is added before bottling.

THE PRODUCER: Natalia Jessa is on the forefront of becoming the new face of Portuguese wines and one of the hardest working people around. Having relocated to Portugal for love from Poland via Ireland to Oporto, Natalia Jessa has really taken grasp of what is virtually an underserved market for inexpensive and incredibly delicious Portuguese wine. She says it herself in the most adorable broken Portu/Polish English accent: “Drink it, don’t overthink it.”

Natalia leverages long standing relationships and vineyard knowledge in each region where she orchestrates the entire production in conjunction with a “winemaker on the ground”. Each local expert friend helps Natalia source the most organic grapes from the best soils for each native grape variety within each region. These wines are very unique and true to place.