2021 Luis Seabra "Xisto Cru" Branco, Douro, Portugal
ABOUT THIS WINE
Xisto Cru Branco is a single vineyard wine—a rare find in the Douro—that Seabra says is a “magical place that no one can replicate.” It is intended as a clear expression of terroir and place. The vines, which were planted from 1920-1933 are farmed sustainably, and vinified using only spontaneous fermentation and indigenous yeasts. This way he removes all potential variability other than the soil type as an expression of terroir.
The vineyard, called “Soalheira,” or “sandy,” is in the southern part of Douro Superior, in eastern Douro near the Spanish border. The soil here is mica schist, which is Seabra’s favorite for making white wines. The extreme elevation (2,000+ feet) plus a sunny southern exposure makes for long, consistent ripening, and this site is the latest harvest but still, the wines only fall between 12-13% abv.
After fermentation, the wine spends a total of 12 months in used French oak barrels that are dedicated solely to making Xisto Cru Branco and which never spend more than a day or two empty. No batonnage. This wine goes through full malolactic and is bottled with no added stabilizers.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
For nearly two decades, Luís Seabra has been at the center of a cultural shift in Portuguese winemaking, leading a movement of young, independent winemakers making history by reclaiming historical vineyards, grape varieties, and techniques. Seabra is dedicated to proving that fresh, elegant, terroir-driven still wines can be made in the Douro Valley. His fundamental understanding of soil coupled with his philosophy of minimal intervention in the vineyard and winery have launched him into the international eye as a leader of the New Portugal; according to Eric Asimov, he “is now making some of Portugal’s most compelling wines, both white and red.” Luís Seabra works with old vineyards because he believes that old vines are more resilient and well-equipped to handle the region’s intense weather; this makes them the best candidates to faithfully communicate special terroirs. When he started his solo project in 2013, he created the “Cru” series of wines, which revolve not around grape varieties, but vineyard sites. In Seabra’s own words: “we did this to show how we can put the place in the bottle.”
The Xisto Cru Branco is one of a series of wines that Luis makes that exemplify and express the intensely terroir-driven style in which he operates. He is a particularly gifted winemaker, one who sees wine as a medium through which a piece of land can speak. “Cru” translates as “raw” in Portuguese, and the transmission of terroir here is unadulterated and singular. This series of wines is one in which he removes every variable but that of the land itself, and the stark expression of the soil that results is extraordinary.
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Description
ABOUT THIS WINE
Xisto Cru Branco is a single vineyard wine—a rare find in the Douro—that Seabra says is a “magical place that no one can replicate.” It is intended as a clear expression of terroir and place. The vines, which were planted from 1920-1933 are farmed sustainably, and vinified using only spontaneous fermentation and indigenous yeasts. This way he removes all potential variability other than the soil type as an expression of terroir.
The vineyard, called “Soalheira,” or “sandy,” is in the southern part of Douro Superior, in eastern Douro near the Spanish border. The soil here is mica schist, which is Seabra’s favorite for making white wines. The extreme elevation (2,000+ feet) plus a sunny southern exposure makes for long, consistent ripening, and this site is the latest harvest but still, the wines only fall between 12-13% abv.
After fermentation, the wine spends a total of 12 months in used French oak barrels that are dedicated solely to making Xisto Cru Branco and which never spend more than a day or two empty. No batonnage. This wine goes through full malolactic and is bottled with no added stabilizers.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
For nearly two decades, Luís Seabra has been at the center of a cultural shift in Portuguese winemaking, leading a movement of young, independent winemakers making history by reclaiming historical vineyards, grape varieties, and techniques. Seabra is dedicated to proving that fresh, elegant, terroir-driven still wines can be made in the Douro Valley. His fundamental understanding of soil coupled with his philosophy of minimal intervention in the vineyard and winery have launched him into the international eye as a leader of the New Portugal; according to Eric Asimov, he “is now making some of Portugal’s most compelling wines, both white and red.” Luís Seabra works with old vineyards because he believes that old vines are more resilient and well-equipped to handle the region’s intense weather; this makes them the best candidates to faithfully communicate special terroirs. When he started his solo project in 2013, he created the “Cru” series of wines, which revolve not around grape varieties, but vineyard sites. In Seabra’s own words: “we did this to show how we can put the place in the bottle.”
The Xisto Cru Branco is one of a series of wines that Luis makes that exemplify and express the intensely terroir-driven style in which he operates. He is a particularly gifted winemaker, one who sees wine as a medium through which a piece of land can speak. “Cru” translates as “raw” in Portuguese, and the transmission of terroir here is unadulterated and singular. This series of wines is one in which he removes every variable but that of the land itself, and the stark expression of the soil that results is extraordinary.
