Cozs Vo Vital

COZs is the project of Tiago Teles and António Marques da Cruz, who restored abandoned vineyards once farmed by the late winemaker José Mendonça near Figueira da Foz, before expanding to the limestone Serra de Montejunto north of Lisbon. Vo Vital is made from 100% Vital - a local cousin of Malvasia - from organically farmed old vines on clay-limestone soils close to the Atlantic. The grapes macerate on skins for around two weeks before pressing into old barrels for roughly a year. Smoky orange marmalade and lemon pith on the nose, with a lean, mineral finish.

• Region: Serra de Montejunto, Lisbon region, Portugal
• Grapes: Vital
• Vintage: 2022
• ABV: 12.5%
• Style: Orange / Skin-contact white

Goes well with: Grilled fish, aged cheeses, Portuguese seafood dishes.