Açores Branco 'Terras de Lava'

Score

91

"Handpicked grapes were selected and pressed to produce all the wines, including the 2022 Terras de Lava Branco, produced with 70% Arinto dos Açores, 25% Verdelho and 5% Fernão Pires, a grape not allowed by the DOC Pico, so this is IG Açores. It's quite aromatic, with floral notes from the Arinto, dried peach and a touch of honey and beeswax. It has limited ripeness and 12% alcohol, a pH of 3.35 (it didn't go through malolactic) and 6.05 grams of acidity. The palate is round and velvety but with a salty twist that is the signature of the island. It's delicious and full of personality. 2022 was a very salty year, due to the wind and the seawater in the vines. It was also the worst year in terms of production in the history of the Cooperativa; it was a year with yields below 500 kilos per hectare, when the average is usually about 1,000 kilos per hectare. 66,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2024."