2015 Casa de Mouraz ALR Vinho Verde

Region: Dão < Portugal
Grapes: Loureiro, Avesso plus a splash of Arinto + Azul
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: ECOCERT certified organic since 1996, biodynamic since 2006; granite soil; fermented in stainless steel then rests on its lees for 3 months; zero added SO2; 10.5% ABV
Winemaker: Sara Dionísio & António Lopes Ribeiro

Husband and wife Sara and António took over António’s family’s organic estate, but only after he studied law and worked as an editor. In 2000, the couple quit their jobs, left Lisbon behind and returned to the Dão to make wine. In the rough, rocky foothills of the Serra de Estrela Mountain, Portugal’s highest mountain range, Sara and António farm a handful of native grapes biodynamically – super challenging in this humid, damp region where almost everyone sprays chemicals to combat the rampant mildew, rot and pests. This is one of the best Vinho Verdes we’ve ever had, drinking more like a perfect dry Riesling than the often one-dimensional, fluffy Vinho Verdes on the market. Like in Riesling, there is an oily texture, with gorgeous honeyed lime notes, intense slate-y minerality, and a surprising weight for such a low alcohol wine. It is all-day drinkable at only 10.5%!