Hugo Mendes Pitau Clarete Red 2024
30 in stock
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Hugo Mendes trained as a biomedical engineer, worked his first harvest in 2004, and spent more than a decade in cellars and consulting around Portugal before going out on his own in 2016, paying for that first bottling by pre-selling the wine on social media. He works from Alenquer, north of Lisbon, almost entirely with the region's native grapes, a rarity in Lisboa, and the aim is natural freshness, with no pushed alcohol and no heavy oak. Pitau is his clarete, the Portuguese term for a light, fruity red, made from red grapes alone. They get only a short maceration, ferment on indigenous yeasts, and are raised entirely in stainless steel. The 2024 is bright and youthful, with red cherry, wild strawberry, and citrus peel over a floral lift and a savory, herbal edge, held together by gentle tannins and a clean finish. Give it a light chill and keep it flowing all evening.
