Vadio Branco 2023

Vadio is the small family project of Luís Patrão, a Bairrada-born winemaker who worked in Australia, California and Chile before returning to Poutena to recover the region's native grapes. This organic white blends Bical and Sercial, two high-acid Atlantic varieties suited to Bairrada's cool, damp maritime climate and its clay and limestone soils, which hold water and slow ripening so the fruit keeps its natural freshness. The wine is barrel fermented and spends six months in used French oak. Because the barrels are old rather than new, they add texture and a touch of breadth through gentle oxygen exchange and lees contact without lending obvious vanilla or wood spice, leaving the fruit and acidity in the foreground. The colour is pale with faint green reflections. The nose is clean and precise, with green apple, lemon, pear and white flowers over a subtle almond note. The palate is dry and tightly wound, with bright citrus acidity, a saline mineral thread and a long, fresh finish. Serve at 9 to 11 degrees in a white wine glass.