Ilustres Desconhecidos Arinto 2023

Ilustres Desconhecidos Arinto

2023

Ilustres Desconhecidos is a collection of singular and expressive wines brought to life by the creativity and skill of our winemakers. This wine comes from the vineyard of Tapadinha, in the Rio Torto Valley (in the Cima Corgo subregion of the Douro). This parcel has over a dozen white grape varieties planted at 580 m, where we have been assessing their performance and investigating the best blends. This experimental vineyard is the ideal launchpad for our new collection of wines that tell hitherto unknown stories about our terroir.

Abundant rainfall during the first half of the winter reversed the severe drought of 2022, replenishing soil water levels satisfactorily. Although February to April was an exceptionally dry and mild period, generous late spring rainfall in May and June sustained the vines over the ripening cycle. While much of Europe was blasted by extreme heatwaves during the summer, July temperatures in Portugal were close to normal and in the Douro fractionally below average. Although there was virtually no rainfall in the Douro during July and August, reasonable soil moisture, combined with comparatively moderate temperatures, favoured good levels of acidity, balanced maturations, and good phenolic development. Perfectly timed rain in early September provided a great start to the vintage, and we picked under fine conditions during the first half of the month. From mid-September, excessive rainfall affected later ripening grapes, but many of our finest vineyard parcels had been picked before the rain, enabling us to produce some very fine wines.

465 g

Ilustres Desconhecidos

Ilustres Desconhecidos

Douro Wine

Douro DOC White

Douro DOC Arinto White

Charles Symington, Pedro Correia and Daniel Toscano,
assisted by the Symington DOC Douro
winemaking team.

Produced from grapes grown at the vineyard of Tapadinha (Rio Torto Valley).

100% Arinto

14 %

7.8 g/l (tartaric acid)

2024

The wine aged sur lies in a 10 hl concrete vat for a few months following fermentation. Bottling occurred the year after the harvest. The wine was then aged in bottle until it was released.

0.3 g/l (acetic acid)

3.31

Smooth de-stemming followed by crushing and static clarification of the must. After these steps, the wine ferments in a 10 hl concrete vat. Due to its thermal inertia, concrete ensures a steady fermentation temperature without fluctuations. Additionally, its significant gas permeability allows for a period of ageing on the fine lees with natural micro-oxygenation. This choice reflects the approach of revealing what each of these grape varieties can offer in terms of organoleptic features, without any exogenous interference. Sulphurous additions and contact with oxygen were minimized, resulting in a tendentially reductive winemaking. The result is the purest sensory profile that we can obtain.

Bright floral aromas of jasmin and honeysuckle intertwine with fresh citrus scents, notes of ripe pear and hints of pineapple. On the palate there is lemon and green apple zest with a touch of crushed white pepper. Tingling, racy acidity provides crisp clarity which lifts the luminous, piquant texture. Unmistakably Arinto in its vivid, expressive aromas and fresh, mineral palate.

Ready for immediate enjoyment.

10-12°C

Seafood, oysters.

Contains sulphites.

Yes

Yes

82 Kcal/100 ml

0.8 g/100ml