António Maçanita, Verdelho dos Villões 2024, Madeira, Portugal

Who - Antonio Maçanita & Nuno Faria, Profetas e Villões
Where - Seixal and Vale de São Vicente, Madeira, Portugal
What - White Wine, Verdelho
When - 2024
How  - Organic practices, whole bunch direct pressed, spontaneous fermentation between two 500L stainless steel vats and one 228L barrel, 9 months on lees. Matured 85% in stainless steel and 15% in french oak barrel vegan

Antonio Maçanita and Nuno Faria's Villões & Profetas project is based on Portugal's volcanic islands, Madeira and Port Santo around 1,000km off the mainland. The term 'Villões' is the nickname given to the Madeirans by the inhabitants of the much smaller Port Santo (who are referred to as the 'Profetas') as the term comes from vila or city due to the island having a population of 300 thousand compared to the mere 3 thousand on Port Santo.

So this is Verdelho, a local grape and one of the Madeiran noble grape varieties for the signature wine of the island but is equally great made into dry white wines like this one. The grapes are grown across three vineyards along the northern coast of the island, one in Seixal and two in Vale de São Vicente both on volcanic soils. Once the grapes are harvested by hand they are transported from Madeira to Port Santo in 40kg boxes and careful selection on the sorting table upon arrival.

This is a wine with great acidity, minerality and salinity with some tropical fruits in the mix. Great for seafood or fatty fish.