Luis Seabra Xisto Ilimitado Branco 2021
$52.00 inc. GST
After a decade as winemaker at Niepoort, where he was responsible for some of the best known and highest rated wines to come out of the famed Douro and Porto producer, Luis Seabra decided that he no longer wanted to make wines to someone else’s tastes and specifications. Thus, he began his eponymous winery, and set about shattering preconceptions of what Douro wines represent.
Xisto Ilimitado, by famed Douro winemaker Luis Seabra, is a Portuguese analogue to the idea of a “village” level Burgundy. A field blend of 6 varieties planted across 3 subzones in the Douro, Ilimitado is a survey of the schist-driven terroir in the appellation. The Douro is the oldest demarcated appellation in Western Europe, chartered in 1756. Since 1986, the focus has diversified from the early days of fortified wine production in Porto, giving rise to a number of fine table wines that spearheaded the Portuguese wine market in America in the early 2000s. Luis Seabra, former winemaker at Nieeport, has focused his winemaking on the distinct soil types in the valley, and this latest project shows the breadth of style that is achievable in the region. Bright, focused and fresh, Xisto Ilimitado is a great introduction to the new Douro.
Description
50% Rabigato, 20% Codega, 15% Gouveio (Godello), 10% Viosinho. 30-45 year old vines, planted to mica schist at 500-600 m (1,640 -1,968 ft) elevation.
90% fermented in used barrel; 10% fermented in stainless steel. All indigenous wild yeast fermentation. Aged in 90% used barrel and 10% stainless steel. 1 year of lees contact with no battonage.
Vineyards located in Cima Corgo. This is a subregion that experiences extreme highs and lows from a temperature standpoint, with some of the greatest day-night temperature delta in Portugal. As such the fruit experiences extended hang-time. Vines planted exclusively in to mica schist soil at 500-600m elevation. 400mm annual rainfall.
From rabigato, codega, godello and viosinho planted on micaschist and fermented mostly in old barrels, it has the lemon-mineral punch of great Burgundy, plus a ripe pear fruitiness, white poppy and remarkable density. This is sleek, contemporary white winemaking of the highest order. — Jon Bonné | Bright straw yellow. On the nose, stone and orchard fruit abound, with flinty wet stone and white pepper laid over the dominant aromatics. On the palate, impressively bright and mineral driven, with a great balance between power and lift. Lemon, green apple, bosc pear flavours co-mingle with a touch of floral tone and slate minerals. Juicy and mineral-driven all at once.
Additional Information
| brand | Luis Seabra |
|---|---|
| size | 750ml |
Reviews/Ratings/Awards
Luis Seabra Vinhos Xisto Ilimitado Branco 2019
WINEFRONT: MIKE BENNIE
Posted on 10 March 2021.
The 2018 wine was outstanding, this comes to the table with the same distinction and quality. A mix of white grapes of local origin to Duoro, here. So much sea spray in this wine, saline minerality in spades. It’s fine and tense, pure and scintillating, energetic and so damn refreshing. Electric in its shift across the palate, curls into every corner with its tang and vitality, bristling with cool acidity and the crunch of a young green apple. And then, that saltiness. Oh yes, that saltiness. And how it lingers and lingers. Fantastic, compelling white wine.
Importer: QED
Rated : 95 Points
Tasted : MAR21
Alcohol : 12.5%
