Dão Branco Vinhas Velhas - fieldblend (23)

80% van de blend is Siria, Fernão Pires, Bical, Encruzado, Cerceal and Arinto | druiven uit eigen wijngaarden 50-120 jaar oude stokken | vergisting en rijping in 500-liter eikenhouten vaten voor 12 maanden | 10 maanden rijping in staaltank voor botteling | diepe pure witte wijn met een natuurlijk en fijn reductief randje | subtiele vulling | venkel | gember | floraal | zilt | precisie | spanning | fijne concentratie

Antonio Madeira 

Antonio die een deel van zijn jeugd doorbrengt in de Franse stad Parijs keert in 2010 terug naar zijn geboortegrond in de Portugeese Dão. Zijn aandacht wordt getrokken door een perceel met 50 jaar oude stokken in de highlands van de Dão. Hij gaat aan de slag met het perceel dat al drie jaar niet bewerkt is en maakt in het najaar van 2011 zijn eerste 'fieldblend' wijn van deze prachtige oude wijngaard vanuit een garage. Hij werkt in de wijngaarden biologisch-dynamisch, vergist met de intentie het pure fruit te pakken uit de druiven en gebruikt minimaal zwavel, 

Gestaag ontwikkeld het project zicht maar liefst 23 wijngaarden in zes verschillende dorpen in de Sierra Estrella bergen en is er met de oogst van 2016 een gloednieuwe wijnkelder. Antonio geeft de 'vergeten' Dao Highlands kleur op haar wangen met een serie fantastische wijnen in de geest van de Spaanse 'new-wavers' als Guimaro, Olivier Riviere en Dani Landi. 

Review

#49 in de Top 100 Vinous 2025: 2022 Branco Vinhas Velhas: One of the most astonishing white wines not just from Portugal, but from the legions I've tasted over the years, this old-vine field blend is nothing short of astonishing. Can't afford Coche-Dury? Try this. 

The 2022 Branco Vinhas Velhas presents silvery glints in the glass as the bouquet explodes with intense mineral-driven Japanese yuzu, limoncello and quince aromas, all neatly wrapped up in a nuanced veil of reduction. It has scintillating delineation and evokes images of freshly shucked oyster shells and sea cave. The palate is just as arresting, brimming with energy and tension. Again, there is a subtle reduction at play, one that would make Jean-François Coche proud. There is so much depth of flavour here. That marine theme continues, with notes of tangerine and yuzu on the finish. Whilst it dishes out pleasure, it will evolve over the next 12 to 15 years. 95/100 Neal Martin

The old-vine white 2021 Vinhas Velhas Branco was produced with the fruit from some 15 small plots of old vines aged between 60 and 130 years of age and planted with a myriad of old varieties—Síria, Bical, Fernão Pires, Encruzado, Arinto, Cerceal and Malvasia Fina—on slopes with granite soils. It's inspired by the natural vinification of some Burgundy wines. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter barrels for 12 months and a further 10 months in stainless steel. It has moderate ripeness and alcohol (12%) with a pH of 3.33 and 5.29 grams of acidity. It has an incredible nose that is nuanced, complex, elegant and changing, with notes of herbs, wild flowers and earth. It has a very tasty and saline palate that is subtle with great purity of flavors, clean and precise. It reminds me of some whites from Ganevat. 7,900 bottles produced. As always, it was bottled with full malolactic, unfiltered and unfined. It was bottled in April 2023. 95/100 Luis Gutiérrez

António Madeira is one of the leading quality producers in Dão despite being quite young in the regions. He came back from France and established his operation in Dão in 2010. He has seven hectares of vines spread over 20 different plots, five of them old—50 to 130 years of age—in the villages of Santa Marinha, São Martinho, Paços da Serra, Vales and Vodra e Pinhanços. He works biodynamically but has no certification. The wines are all fermented with indigenous yeasts, with no oenological products and minimal sulfur. He now produces 60,000 bottles—up from 30,000—since he enlarged the winery in 2021, and he grew with entry-level wines from purchased wines. This is the first time his wines have been tasted and reviewed by The Wine Advocate, and it was certainly the coup de coeur in this article. The vintage seems to have a big impact in the quality of the wines, and the ones from 2021 were clearly better than the ones from 2020 and 2022.