Ramilo Branco

One of my favourite finds of the year, this. From just up the coast from Lisbon, close to the incredible medieval castle complex, Sintra (well worth a visit!). Once a source of peasant ‘jug’ wine, a new generation of growers are realising the potential of low-yielding vines, planted on clay-limestone soil, with the summer heat tempered by the proximity of the Atlantic. Beautiful terraced vineyards enjoy a long growing season, with cloudy mornings and cool nights provideingthe perfect foil to warm sunny days.

We shouldn’t take it for granted, but this is another family winery with the fourth generation currently at the helm. The story’s quite different here though- the previous two generations chose to down tools and built up a successful operation marketing and distributing wines from other regions of Portugal. It was brothers Pedro and Nuno who gave up this comfortable existence and undertook to rebuild the family winery and restore the vineyards, retaining prized old vines and replanting plots that had gone to ruin.

Further credit to the borthers for avoiding the temptation to plant Sauvignon bloody Blanc, favouring native varieties instead. Arinto brings acidity, structure, and citrus vitality, while the Viosinho and Alvarinho bring body, riper fruit, and aromatic elegance. The limestone soils bring minerality in the form of flintiness and a grassy, herbaceous note. The coastal influence imparts a slightly savoury salinity and pithiness to the finish. I’m confident this will fulfil the mission of this box and leave you with a large smile on your face.

Works a treat as a get-in-from-a-tough-day-of-work pick-me-up, or whenever you’re vexed by the over-use of hyphens.