# Monocasta Arinto (2020)

- **Producer:** AdegaMãe
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Arinto
- **Region:** Lisboa, Portugal
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €11
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** lemon, grapefruit, orange, blossom, cream, petrol, honey

## About this wine

AdegaMãe, meaning "Mother Winery," was established by the Alves family as a tribute to their matriarch, Manuela Alves. Situated in Ventosa, Torres Vedras, within the Lisboa wine region, this modern, gravity-fed estate is highly acclaimed for its "Atlantic Wines." The Monocasta Arinto is a passion project championed by head winemaker Diogo Lopes and consulting winemaker Anselmo Mendes, renowned as Portugal's "King of Alvarinho." Together, they sought to craft a single-variety Arinto that purely expresses the cool, salt-sprayed coastal terroir of Lisbon, rather than a generic regional white. The vineyards are located just miles from the Atlantic Ocean, benefiting from constant sea breezes and morning mists that define this unique microclimate.

## Interesting facts

- AdegaMãe was founded by the Alves family, owners of the famous Riberalves Group, as a tribute to the family matriarch, Manuela Alves.
- The wine was developed in collaboration with Anselmo Mendes, a legendary Portuguese winemaker widely known as the 'King of Alvarinho'.
- The vineyards are located just miles from the Atlantic Ocean, growing on ancient clay-limestone soils that impart a distinct salinity.

## Food pairing

The high natural acidity and distinct saline minerality of this coastal Arinto make it an exceptional palate cleanser. It cuts effortlessly through the richness of fatty fish and complements the delicate, briny sweetness of raw shellfish. The wine's crispness also balances the vinegar-seasoned rice in sushi, while its medium body, enhanced by lees stirring, provides enough structure to stand up to grilled seafood dishes without overpowering them.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for this single-variety Arinto is designed to preserve its natural freshness and coastal character. Grapes are harvested from clay-limestone soils and undergo 100% destemming, followed by a light skin maceration and gentle pneumatic pressing. After cold decantation, fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats at 15–16°C for 15 days to retain primary fruit and mineral expressions. No oak is used during any stage of vinification. Following fermentation, the wine is aged for six months on its fine lees in stainless steel with regular batonnage (lees stirring) to build mid-palate texture, roundness, and complexity before bottling.