Luis Seabra Xisto Indie Tinto 2021

Luis Seabra spent ten years with Niepoort before setting up his own Douro project built on minimal intervention, terroir and traditional winemaking. Xisto Indie is a field blend of native varieties, among them Rufete, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, grown in the Cima Corgo. The name points to xisto, the schist that defines the region: these fractured slate soils are poor and free-draining, forcing roots deep for water and yielding small, concentrated berries, while the steep terraced slopes and hot days tempered by cool valley nights preserve freshness. That balance shows in the modest 12.5 percent alcohol, unusual for the Douro. The wine spends 24 months in used French oak barrels, so the wood adds slow oxygenation and texture rather than vanilla or toast. It pours a medium red, with a nose of raspberry, redcurrant and dark cherry over dried herbs, pepper and a clear graphite, schist-driven minerality. The palate is fresh and detailed, medium in body, with fine tannin and a long savoury finish. Serve at 16 degrees, ideally decanted. It suits grilled red meat, lamb and mushrooms.