Fita Preta Morgado de Oliveira

Arinto, vintage 2023, blended with 2022 and 2021, fermented mainly in used barrels. With a ripe lemon hue, it offers abundant notes of lemon zest, lemon blossom and dried herbs. Very rich and textured, with a remarkable aftertaste characterised by spices and citrus, and a vibrant, endless finish.

The white NV Morgado de Oliveira is Arinto from a place with a long history and tradition, as Morgado de Oliveira was established in 1306 by D. Martim de Oliveira, Archbishop of Braga, from Évora. There, he planted vineyards, built a wine cellar and an oil press, legislated for the protection of the vineyards and wines of Évora and built the Paço do Morgado de Oliveira, which is the place of the estate today. It is the oldest vineyard area in Évora, which he replanted in 2017, 2019 and 2020 on granite soils, the first vineyard he planted in Alentejo. The vines are dry and organically farmed (but the wine is not certified). The full clusters were pressed and the juice let to settle for 12 hours, and it then fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak barrels without temperature control. It went through full malolactic and aged with the fine lees for 15 months without bâtonnage. It has a golden color and a serious, somewhat austere and elegant nose—pretty much the expression of serious Arinto—that faintly reductive, with some citrus hints and notes of dry herbs, developing aromas of yellow fruit with time in the glass. It's textured and profoundly mineral, with contained ripeness and very good freshness, as showcased by the parameters of 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.05 and 6.7 grams of acidity. He selected Arinto because of its acidity and ability to keep the freshness even in warm places like Alentejo, and he farmed it organically and without irrigation, which meant it was difficult to establish the vineyard. 1,919 individually numbered bottles produced.

Pale gold. Gorgeously rich, toasty/yeasty aroma and a hint of struck-match reduction. Smells like mature champagne with roasted hazelnuts and honeyed citrus, even though the wine is bone dry. That same delicious, toasty richness on the palate. Not at all what I expected and absolutely delicious. Long and generous, all that flavour and richness counterbalanced by high acidity and a firm texture. Irresistible, with a long, honeyed and toasty finish – until that citrus freshness kicks back at the very end. 

Pure arinto with flowers, subtle gunpowder, dried lemons, dried pineapple and grapefruit zest on the nose. The palate is medium- to full-bodied and round, with a subtle phenolic texture and lively acidity that add depth and dimensions. Solid and harmonious. Drink now or hold.