A Touriga Vai Nua

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Fitapreta is António Maçanita’s estate near the ancient Roman city of Evora, located in the rolling hills of Alentejo. Since its inception in 2004, Fitapreta has pushed the boundaries of what fine winemaking can be in this region, and over the last two decades, the estate has become a benchmark for the New Portugal, earning Antonio international accolades like Winemaker of the Year, Most Unique Winemaker, and Winemaker of the Generation. Maçanita works only with indigenous varieties and showcases his estate’s terroir through exacting work: farming organically without irrigation, harvesting by hand at night, deliberate bunch sorting in the winery, and native yeast fermentation. Through his commitment to these principles, he can craft wines that represent sunny Alentejo, but which have a balance and freshness unmatched by others in the region. Maçanita finds equilibrium between tradition and modernity, and his constant exploration of vineyards has enabled him to show off a truly deep understanding of Alentejano terroir, present and past. Whether on his original estate vineyard or in his Chão dos Eremitas site, his wines always contain a through-line of elegance and purity. The broad assortment of wine styles available from Fitapreta is a testament to Antonio’s intellect, curiosity, playfulness, and rigorous attention to detail. Fitapreta has something for everyone! A Touriga Vai Nua, or “The Touriga Goes Naked,” is one playful example of António's skill: he takes the “typical” warmth and ripeness of Alentejo fruit and creates a completely novel expression out of Portugal’s king of grapes, Touriga Naçional. Like all the wines from Fitapreta, this wine showcases the Alentejo terroir – marked by a plush, slate-accented palate -- but by doing a partial carbonic maceration and a quick 3-month elevage in stainless steel, creates an expression of Touriga that is light on its feet and versatile. Try it with a slight chill, even. This is “Touriga as only winemakers have tasted it,” before it sees any blending or oak treatment, and a pleasure to drink.

WHAT MAKES THIS WINE UNIQUE?

This is an expression of Portugal’s most well-known grape, Touriga Naçional, that manages to be both evocative of the terroir of the Alentejo and a uniquely fresh take on the “king of Portugal.” Carbonic maceration and careful attention to maintenance of acidity give this wine a beautiful duality of ripe fruit paired with floral and even juicy citrus notes. An excellent red wine for white wine lovers.

RATING HISTORY:

2019 90 WA; 2018 89 WE; 2015 90 WA

GRAPE:

100% Touriga Naçional. Sustainably grown vines on average 30 years old .Tended in schist rocky soil at 300-400 m (984 -1,312 ft) elevation.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:

This is a versatile wine. The lush fruit profile pairs very well with roasted and grilled meats, but the low alcohol levels and lack of oak tannin make it a fine pair for lighter fare like charcuterie and cheese but also fun with strong flavors, like in southeast Asian fare.

VINIFICATION AND AGING:

30 day maceration with spontaneous wild yeast fermentation. Cold stabilized, and racked to stainless steel for 3 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

LOCATION, SOIL, CLIMATE:

The Alentejo is a large region in southeastern central Portugal, which is one of the agricultural centers of the country. The climate is Atlantic-Mediterranean, with significant diurnal-nocturnal temperature differences. This temperature range produces fruit with a natural combination of maturity and freshness. The Alentejo sees 3,000 hours of annual sunshine and 600mm of annual rainfall, less than 15% of which falls during the growing season. These vineyards are planted to rocky schist at 300-400m elevation asl.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark purple. On the nose, fresh boysenberry, blackberry, plum and blueberry are commingled with a ferrous mineral note and wild notes of beef blood, anise and rose petals. On the palate, intense and lush, but light on its feet. The blue and black fruit are framed beautifully by fresh flowers and slate-tinged mineral. Finishes long, with a whiff of white pepper.

ALCOHOL CONTENT:

13.0%

UPC CODE:

5600301740688

BOTTLE WEIGHT:

1.4 lbs (.64 kg)