Domínio do Açor "Vinha Celta" Bical '22

Domínio do Açor has quickly gained the reputation as one of Portugal’s most important wineries, and for good reason. Led by the super talented oenologist and co-winemaker, Luís Lopes, Guilherme Corrêa who overseas the commercial side as well as helping make decisions on the production, and co-winemaker João Costa, this is a dream team.

This single estate is located in the tiny parish of Oliveira do Conde, which is part of the subregion of Terras de Senhorim, in the region of the Dão. I had the chance to visit the property in July, and it is a really magical place. Famed viticulturist Pedro Parra was brought in to help the team identify the soils, and thus create various parcels or blocks. Often times you will here Luís and Guilherme refer to a particular parcel as a Grand Cru, noting these parcels as producing grapes with extreme complexity, and thus giving the wines their ability to age. 

It is also worth noting that the team brought in Marco Simonit, probably the most respected name when it comes to knowledge of pruning and canopy management. 

Everything is in place to make some of the best wines in Portugal, and in my humble opinion they are already achieving that due to some of their older vines, and hard work in the vineyard and cellar.

This is a very special white wine from Domínio do Açor, with somewhere around 700 bottles produced. Vinha Celta is a small parcel that they consider a Grand Cru. The majority of the parcel is planted to the Bical variety, with the vines planted in 1961. The parcel,0.65 ha in size, has a south/south-west exposure, with the vines around 290 meters above sea level. 

Bical is a indigenous variety to Portugal, planted mainly in the Bairrada and Dão regions. It’s local name in the Dão is Borrado das Moscas, which translates to “fly droppings” because when it is ripe it has tiny black spots on the skin. Despite the tongue in cheek name, there can be a real nobility to Bical, and one must be very careful in its ripening, as you want to harvest it with freshness. 

Domínio do Açor harvests their Bical in the Vinha Celta parcel on the early side. They de-stem the grapes, and crush in a pneumatic press. The juice after a settling goes into barrel where it ferments with native yeasts. They like to age it on the lees, allowing for malolactic fermentation, and aging in barrel for 11 months. The barrels are old French oak from a producer in the region of Saumur in France. 

This outstanding Bical has unique and complex aromas such lemon curd, white flowers, honey and mineral. Textural, with medium weight and notes of pear and fresh peach on the palate. The finish is long and complex, keeping you coming back for sip after sip.