{"product_id":"espera-anfora-alvarinho-2022","title":"Espera Anfora Alvarinho 2022","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlvarinho as you've probably never experienced it before—a deeply textural, skin-fermented expression aged for a full year in clay amphora, showing an entirely different side of one of Portugal's most celebrated white grapes.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEspera Alvarinho na Ânfora is made from \u003cstrong\u003e100% Alvarinho\u003c\/strong\u003e, using a selection of the ripest grapes from a 13-year-old, northeast-facing vineyard in \u003cstrong\u003eAlcobaça\u003c\/strong\u003e. The vines grow in clay-limestone soils under the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, giving Rodrigo Martins the freshness and natural acidity he needs to take Alvarinho somewhere altogether more adventurous. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grapes are harvested by hand into small 15kg cases before undergoing \u003cstrong\u003enatural fermentation for 21 days with both their skins and stems\u003c\/strong\u003e. But Rodrigo doesn't press the wine once fermentation is finished. Instead, it remains in stainless steel with \u003cstrong\u003eall of the grape solids—skins and stems included—for an incredible seven months\u003c\/strong\u003e. Only then is it pressed and transferred into clay amphora, where it spends \u003cstrong\u003eanother full year ageing\u003c\/strong\u003e before bottling. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a fascinating approach that completely transforms our expectations of Alvarinho. The wine develops a beautiful \u003cstrong\u003egolden colour\u003c\/strong\u003e and remarkable complexity, with \u003cstrong\u003edried apricot, orange peel and floral notes\u003c\/strong\u003e layered over the distinctive mineral character of the region. On the palate it's intense and textural yet still beautifully fresh, with a fine structure and a wonderfully long finish. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt \u003cstrong\u003e12.5% ABV and just 1.5 g\/L residual sugar\u003c\/strong\u003e, it's bone dry, while its \u003cstrong\u003e5.9 g\/L total acidity\u003c\/strong\u003e helps maintain freshness despite all that extended skin contact and ageing. This isn't a wine to serve refrigerator-cold: Rodrigo recommends \u003cstrong\u003e13–14°C and decanting it if possible\u003c\/strong\u003e, allowing the wine to open up and reveal its full aromatic complexity. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy age wine in amphora?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLong before stainless-steel tanks and oak barrels existed, winemakers were fermenting and storing wine in \u003cstrong\u003eclay vessels\u003c\/strong\u003e. Amphora winemaking stretches back thousands of years and today has been embraced again by low-intervention winemakers looking for a vessel that allows wine to develop without imparting the flavours associated with oak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike a new oak barrel, clay doesn't give the wine flavours of vanilla, toast or spice. Instead, it provides a relatively neutral environment in which the \u003cstrong\u003egrape, texture and character of the vineyard remain at the forefront\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this wine, that matters enormously. After seven months with its skins and stems, the Alvarinho already has considerable structure and complexity. The additional year in amphora allows those elements to integrate and evolve without covering them with oak flavours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result isn't simply an \"orange wine\" or an \"amphora wine.\" It's an exploration of just how far Rodrigo can take \u003cstrong\u003eAlvarinho while still preserving the freshness and minerality that make the variety so special.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMeet Alvarinho\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlvarinho is one of Portugal's most celebrated native white varieties\u003c\/strong\u003e, best known in the north of the country, particularly Monção e Melgaço in Vinho Verde. Across the border in Galicia, the same grape is known as \u003cstrong\u003eAlbariño\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's prized for an unusual combination of \u003cstrong\u003eintense aromatics, naturally high acidity and the ability to produce wines with real body and concentration\u003c\/strong\u003e. In a conventional Alvarinho you might expect citrus, peach, apricot and floral notes, often accompanied by a distinctive mineral or saline character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut this wine shows you another side entirely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExtended contact with the skins and stems takes those familiar Alvarinho characteristics and adds \u003cstrong\u003etannin, texture, savouriness and complexity\u003c\/strong\u003e, while ageing in amphora allows them to evolve without masking the grape itself. The dried apricot and orange-peel character Rodrigo describes is almost like a more concentrated, savoury version of Alvarinho's naturally aromatic personality. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Espera\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEspera is the project of winemaker Rodrigo Martins and Ana Leal\u003c\/strong\u003e, founded in 2014 when Rodrigo began working with tiny vineyard parcels around \u003cstrong\u003eAlcobaça, in Portugal's Lisboa wine region\u003c\/strong\u003e. Rodrigo, an agronomic engineer with a master's degree in viticulture and oenology, had spent years consulting for wineries throughout Portugal before creating something of his own; Ana is responsible for the distinctive identity of the brand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vineyards sit on a plateau around \u003cstrong\u003e120 metres above sea level, close to Nazaré and the Atlantic Ocean\u003c\/strong\u003e. That maritime influence is hugely important: cooler conditions and high humidity, combined with predominantly clay-limestone soils, give Espera's wines their signature \u003cstrong\u003efreshness, natural acidity, minerality and saline character\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir approach in both vineyard and cellar is deliberately hands-off. Espera follows \u003cstrong\u003eorganic farming principles and low-intervention winemaking\u003c\/strong\u003e, avoiding unnecessary additives and allowing wines the time they need to develop rather than rushing them to market. Rodrigo uses natural fermentation; the wines are made without fining or filtration and with low levels of sulfur.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd even the name \u003cstrong\u003eEspera\u003c\/strong\u003e has a lovely story behind it. In vineyard pruning, an \u003cem\u003eespera\u003c\/em\u003e is a secondary spur left behind to become a future fruit-bearing unit. But \u003cem\u003eespera\u003c\/em\u003e also means \u003cstrong\u003e\"wait\"\u003c\/strong\u003e in Portuguese. That idea of patience became central to Rodrigo and Ana's philosophy: rather than making wine according to a predetermined timetable, they wait until each wine tells them it's ready to be shared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd if ever there were a wine that embodied that philosophy, it's this one: \u003cstrong\u003e21 days fermenting on its skins, seven months resting with the entire grape, followed by another year in amphora.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly \u003cstrong\u003e1,200 bottles of the 2022 Alvarinho na Ânfora were produced\u003c\/strong\u003e, making this by far the smallest-production of these four Espera wines. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAroma:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dried Apricot · Orange Peel · White Flowers · Mineral\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePalate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bone Dry · Fresh · Textured · Fine Tannin · Savoury · Long Finish\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePair with:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grilled octopus · Roast pork · Oily fish · Mushroom dishes · Moroccan-spiced dishes · Aged cheeses\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Espera","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47992877613234,"sku":null,"price":59.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0505\/0577\/7330\/files\/espera_laranja_1400x1600_8057a3e5-6c63-4b9d-b8a0-9fdefd1571ad.png?v=1788635909","url":"https:\/\/thevinho.com\/products\/espera-anfora-alvarinho-2022","provider":"The Vinho","version":"1.0","type":"link"}