Vinhos Gota "Prunus" Branco Private Selection 2021, Dao, Portugal

FROM LA LUZ SELECTIONS

THE WINE: Dry farmed, sustainable/non-certified organic. The small, single vineyards that comprise Prunus are located in the lower elevations of the bowl that is the Dão. While they collect 2200-2400 heat units each vintage, there are cooling winds that come off the mountain-sides to retain natural acids in the wine.

Hand-picked fruit, some lots are destemmed, crushed and left to soak on their skins for 24 hours, the remaining are whole cluster pressed into cement and stainless tank. The wine sees additional aging in bottle before release, 6-12 months.

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.