Eremitas Amón de Kélia 2023

Mateus Nicolau de Almeida set up his own project in Vila Nova de Foz Coa in 2015 and farms with close attention to each parcel of soil. This organic white belongs to his Eremitas range, three wines made from the native Rabigato grape and vinified in the same way so the differences come from site rather than cellar tricks. Rabigato thrives on the schist of the Douro, a warm continental region, and is valued for keeping bright natural acidity through the summer heat. The 2023 was fermented and held in cement tank, which stays cool and steady and lets the wine rest on its lees without picking up any oak character. That contact adds a fine texture and a broader mid palate while the mineral, citrus profile stays intact. Expect a pale colour with green tints, a nose of lemon, pear and green apple, and a taut, dry palate carried by fresh acidity to a stony, faintly saline close. This is a young wine to drink over the next few years. Serve at 9 to 10 degrees.