Espera Bical and Arinto Vinho Branco 2022

Espera Wines is a small, family-run project on just 3 hectares, located in the Alcobaça region of Lisbon, a historic area and with traditions that stem from the legacy left by the Cistercian monks. This white wine was made by picking grapes by hand, destemming, and then a soft press with spontaneous fermentation without temperature control for 21 days.  Manual harvest into 15 kg boxes, with total destemming. Skin maceration (2 days) occurs before fermentation, followed by soft pressing and spontaneous fermentation in used French oak barrels. The wine is aged (12 months) on fine lees, without batonnage (the French term for stirring settled lees back into wine).  Espera Branco white wine is citrusy in color and has great minerality on the nose with notes of white pulp fruits. This profile is typical of both the grape varieties and aging in wood. Elegant, intense and fresh on the palate, with a long crisp finish.