Experience the perfect balance of flavours with Vale da Mata White. Savour the delicate aromas of minerality and oak spice, complemented by a citrus fruit base. This golden white wine boasts a fresh, mouthwatering finish, thanks to its pronounced acidity. The different varieties were co-fermented before being aged in oak barrels, it offers a complex aroma and good volume on the palate.

Critic Review

JancisRobinson.com: 17Pts (2020 vintage)

"Rich citrus. Great vintage for whites, says Ribeiro. Green fruits, ripe lemon. Deep, fresh, very direct and very long. Super-pure. Oak is just a little creamy. Dry and mineral on the long, salty finish. Limestone-derived finesse? Apricot aroma in the empty glass. Classy, elegant and such a beautiful freshness."
Julia Harding MW

About the Producer

In 2003, José Ribeiro Vieira purchased a four-hectare vineyard in the foothills of Serra de
Aire of Cortes, in the Alta Estremadura, near Lisbon. Vale da Mata is the name of a
small, old vineyard in these foothills. It pays tribute to Vieira’s winemaker father, Manuel,
who claimed that Vale de Mata was the site where he succeeded in producing his
best wines. The Vale de Mata project respects the expression of its terroir, cultivating
the vines sustainably and using minimal intervention in the winery. Vale de Mata is a
member of the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability programme. Manuel gave this wine its
name and his granddaughter Catarina Viera has followed in his footsteps, continuing
his winemaking legacy. In 2018, Vale de Mata was awarded Best Wine Producer by
Revista de Vinhos.

Vineyard and Winery

Vale da Mata is the name of a small, old vineyard located in the foothills of Serra de
Aire, in Cortes. The parcel is just a few hectares and is situated on a steep terrain with
rocky soil. It is planted with a field blend. The land is extremely hard to work and is
cultivated manually, with winter pruning and green harvesting taking place by hand.
Protected to the north, it has good sunlight exposure throughout the day and is
surrounded by olive trees, fig trees, walnuts and shrubs. Vale de Mata is associated
with several sustainable programmes; they are a member of the FSC and grow all their
grapes according to organic philosophies. The vines are trained according to the
Cordon Royat method and the grapes are manually harvested at optimum maturity.

The wine was made following a philosophy of minimal intervention. The field blend
grapes were carefully sorted to ensure only the highest quality fruit was vinified and
then co-fermented using only indigenous yeasts. The blend was then aged in French
oak barrels for six months, imparting subtle complexity, followed by a further six months
in bottle.