FitaPreta / Chão dos Eremitas Alicante Branco 2022

Alicante Branco, was and still is also known as Boal de Alicante or Boal Cachudo, may have been, for many years, a very important varietal in Alentejo. In 1822, before the philoxera, Gyrão quotes many “Boais” but gives special attention to Boal Cachudo, another name for this varietal.

This 100% Alicante Branco, the only one in Portugal, is a trial of the Portuguese-exclusive varietal, which makes this the only one in the world. This wine tests the potential of one of the ancient varieties of the Alentejo vineyard that almost disappeared with the modernization of viticulture.
the vineyard
“chão dos eremitas”
Vineyard planted in: 1970
Altitude: 256-267 m
Location: Southern foothills of Serra d’Ossa. History: This place is special, you can feel it! Two streams bring the rainwater from the Serra keeping the ground cool in the torrid Alentejo heat, never lowering the water table below 5 meters. Here is where the vine used to be planted, the Chão dos Eremitas, “Chão”, an old term for ?at areas, and “Eremitas” referring to the Hermit monks of São Paulo’s order. Here, there’s evidence of uninterrupted wine produc-tion since the 14th century. XIV. The vineyard was so important that a Papal Bull in 1397 exempts the “Pauperes Eremitas” from paying taxes in their vineyards. But archeology goes further, discovering the only Phoenician wine amphora of Portugal’s inland, dating to the 8th century BC. This links this place to wine about 900 years before the arrival of the Romans, in which there are 3,000 years of history linked to wine.

Soils
Granitic - Non-Humic Litolics, little evolved and formed soils, sandy texture, without aggregates, slightly acidic.

Viticulture
Grapes under certi?ed integrated production regime or biologic without the use of herbicides.

Winemaking
Nocturnal manual harvest, direct pressing, without sul?tes until the end of fermentation, without decanting and spontaneous fermen-tation in old barrels.

Ageing
12 months ageing on primary lees without battonage and 3 months in inox.

Yellow-citrus color, intense nose, notes of orange, peach and gunpowder. Full-bodied attack, excellent greasiness and persistence.

Very concentrated wine, good for ?sh dishes in the oven or pan and simpler poultry dishes