Mater-Dôme Blanco 2024

Mater-Dôme Blanco comes from Mêda in the Douro Superior, a high, remote corner of Portugal's Douro, where Mateus Nicolau de Almeida and Teresa Ameztoy revive an old white-wine terroir. It is a field blend of Gouveio, Rabigato, Síria and Viosinho, native Douro whites suited to the region's heat and altitude. The defining feature is the schist subsoil, a fractured slate that holds water and forces the vines to root deep, lending the wine minerality and cut. The Douro Superior is hot and dry by day but cools sharply at altitude, and this diurnal swing keeps acidity intact in white grapes that could otherwise turn heavy. The wine is aged in wood, which adds a light texture and breadth without masking the fruit. The colour is a pale yellow with greenish highlights. The nose leads with fresh peach, green apple and a citrus hint of lemon over a faint earthy note. The palate is dry and fresh, with stone and orchard fruit lifted by a lemony acidity and a stony, mineral finish drawn from the schist. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a white glass.