Fitapreta NV 'A Laranja Mecanica' Vinho Regional Alentejano

Fitapreta NV 'A Laranja Mecanica' Vinho Regional Alentejano

Item Number: 18148

UPC: 5-600301740916

Country: Portugal
Region: Alentejo
Sub Region: Alentejo
Appellation/AVA: Vinho Regional Alentejano
Estate Grown Wine: No
Grape(s): Arinto / Roupeiro / Verdelho / Antão Vaz / Alicante Branco / Trincadeira-das-Pratas / Fernão Pires
Type: Wine - Orange
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 12.5
Soil Type: Rocky schist
Elevation: 300-400 meters

Winemaking Notes: This is an orange wine made with a distinctly Maçanita twist: instead of relying on passive skin contact, António partially presses the grapes, allowing the remaining 10-15% of juice to rest inside the skins for one week. The wine is made exclusively from the second pressing of these grapes—and still maintains vinous elegance despite this rustic and atypical technique. A Laranja Mecânica means “a mechanical orange,” and is a playful reference to Antonio’s winemaking process, which differs from the traditional method for making orange wine because he introduces a press—the “machine.”

Fruit Source: A Laranja Mecanica is a field blend of Arinto, Roupeiro, Verdelho, Antão Vaz, Alicante Branco, Trincadeira-das-Pratas, and Fernão Pires from sustainably farmed vines ranging from 25 to 50 years in age.

Pairing Suggestions: This wine makes an excellent pairing with cheese, foie gras, or any terrine. In a tasting, it creates a very interesting transition to red wines, due to its intensity, tannin, and concentration. Ultimately it is a wine that, like its making, is playful and exploratory.

Reviews

  • The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 90 (10/14/2021)
    The 2020 a Laranja Mecânica is basically an orange wine, although classified as a "curtimenta," referencing skin contact with the juice. It is a field blend of typical grapes (like Arinto, Roupeiro, Verdelho, Antão Vaz, Alicante Branco and Fernão Pires) from vines ranging from 25 to 50 years in age. It comes in at 12.5% alcohol. A rather gentle and understated orange wine, this is beautifully balanced this year. Then, it adds dried peaches and apricots on the finish. It's still a bit different and not for everyone, not exactly your typical white, but it doesn't go overboard in power or eccentricity. It's well done this year, but it is certainly something you will need to drink with a food pairing. It should hold reasonably well, but I'd drink this on the younger side, no matter how longer it theoretically lasts.