Luis Seabra - Xisto Ilimitado Branco 2023
Price: $34.99
Sale Price: $27.99
6+ Price: $25.95 / btl
| Producer | Luis Seabra |
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| Country | Portugal |
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| Region | Douro |
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| Varietal | White Blend |
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| Vintage | 2023 |
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| Sku | 06697 |
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| Size | 750ml |
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Some of you might remember Xisto Ilimitado Tinto, a smash hit for us last year (don’t worry I have more of that coming too). But in case you’re not familiar, here’s a little back story on Luis Seabra and his unique expressions of the Douro. After a decade as head winemaker at Douro powerhouse Niepoort, Luis launched his personal project a few years ago. I met and tasted with Luis the last time I was in Porto, and I was instantly struck by how pure and downright drinkable his wines are. A lot of Douro wines I taste are big heavy wines, pretty extracted, with hefty tannins, and usually considerably high alcohol content. Luis’ Xisto Ilimitado wines are different, lower in alcohol (12.5%), with more minerally, and softer tannins. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not scared of alcohol (heck, I work in the wine biz), but sometimes I want more than a glass of wine without feeling like I need a nap. This is just that, a glass or three kind of wine...
So what is this beauty? A blend 50% Rabigato, 20% Codega, 15% Gouveio (Godello), 10% Viosinho. Haven’t heard of any of those varietals? Don’t worry, neither have a lot of the folks in the wine industry! Luis sources from old vines (30-45 years old), planted in schist (Xisto) soils at an elevation of 1,640 -1,968 ft in the Cima Corgo subregion, that is noted for extreme highs and lows in temperature. These stressed vines produce low yields, and grapes that produce insanely wild aromatics and with brilliant acidity. All the fermentation is natural, Luis achieves purity, his wines are exactly what the vineyards give him. Minerality drives this white, wet flinty stones mix with fresh nectarine, white peach, and bartlett pear on the nose. A bright lifted palate follows, packed full of fresh picked orchard fruits and more stony minerals. Xisto Ilimitado Branco is graceful and powerful all at once, without ever coming across as heavy. Long and seamless across the tongue, and laced with mouthwatering wet stone that sucks you back in for more.
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For food? Well, you simply MUST have cod, bacalhau in Portuguese. A Portuguese saying loosely translates that there are 365 ways to cook cod - one for each day of the year! Yes, it is THAT popular. Now, while you would often see salt cod used, I would suggest using fresh cod. It's easy to find and not very expensive. And since we're breaking with tradition, let's get crazy... how 'bout Pan-Seared Cod with Cilantro Vinaigrette and Creamed Corn? Click on the pic for a recipe.
James Suckling: 93 Points
"This has aromas of sliced green apples, orchard fruit, fennel and a touch of flint. Medium- to full-bodied and fresh, with texture and pleasant phenolics. Long and persistent. Incredible value. A blend of multiple vineyards in Douro Superior. 60% rabigato, 15% gouveio, 15% codega and 10% viosinho. Made from 30- to 45-year-old vines. Aged for 12 months in used barrels."
Wine Advocate: 92 Points
"2023 was not as warm as 2022, and the 2023 Xisto Ilimitado Branco feels very fresh and clean, with a shy nose and balanced palate with purity and precision. It was produced from the zone of Meda in the south of Douro Superior, close to Beiras, from purchased grapes, mostly Rabigato with 20% Arinto and 5% each Gouveio and Codega from 35- to 60-year-old vines at 500 to 700 meters above sea level on schist soils (hence the name!). The bunches were pressed and the juice let to settle and fermented with indigenous yeasts, and the wine matured in 228- and 500-liter oak barres for 10 months with the lees, with full malolactic but without bâtonnage. It has 12.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.35 denoting freshness and comes through as balanced and elegant. Excellent!"
Drink 2024-2030
Wine Enthusiast: 91 Points
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