Bairrada Bical 'Nossa Calcario'

Score

97

"Nossa Calc rio (Áour limestone,) is a biodynamic 100% Bical from the Ágrand cru, vineyard on the much-vaunted chalky clay soils around the village of Ois do Bairro, where Pato and husband William Wouters live and age wine in cellars under their home. Lissom, this would pair beautifully with sea bass, the finest Ácatch of the day, from the ocean, just 15km away. Sarah Ahmed: Oyster shell aromas and flavours, a little creamy with fresh acidity, herbal al-dente apricot and pingy chalk. Nelson Guerreiro: Complex nose, notes of fermented tea, jasmine and pear. Nicely textured with good acidity well integrated. Joanna Locke MW: A touch of bruised apple, a little struck match reduction, yet taut and crisp, sappy acidity."

Score

95

"The super austere and mineral white 2023 Nossa Calcário Bical was produced with grapes from the village of "is do Barro, a classical zone for whites in Bairrada, where they are located. It fermented in 500- and 600-liter barrels and a 2,000-liter oak vat with indigenous years and was put through full malolactic too, then kept for 10 months with the fine lees, which were not stirred. This is not about the fruit but about the soil. It has the profile of an austere white from Bairrada that I love so much, with a medium-bodied palate, purity and precision, balanced, with pungent flavors. 2023 saw a good crop, and it combined quantity and quality. This wine has 12.3% alcohol and notable freshness, denoted by a pH of 3.2. 10,266 bottles and 400 magnums were produced. It was bottled in June 2024."

Score

94

"A full-bodied wine with exceptional length, featuring notes of chalkiness and wet stone. It is elegant and precise, showing flavors of peach skin, apricots and a hint of sour cherries on the palate. The core of acidity is enveloped by roundness and a sensation of tannin in the finish. This is a powerful wine at just 12%. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold."

Score

93

Score

93

"I had already tasted the 2023 last time, and now I got the 2022 Nossa Calcário Bical, from a warm and dry year when the wine still kept contained ripeness and 12% alcohol. It has a slightly golden color but is less austere than the 2023, and it is gentler, with some nutty undertones, spice and wet chalk and a core of white and yellow fruit. It's tasty and light- to medium-bodied, with very good acidity and freshness, supple flavors and a salty twist in the finish."

Score

93

"A pure and crisp bical with a timid nose of fennel, pears and touches of oyster shells and limes. This is really minerally and agile, with incisive acidity and subtle stone fruit character in the finish. Balanced and graceful. This comes from various vineyards planted, as its name suggests, in calcareous soils in the village of "is do Bairro. Fermented and aged in 500- and 2,000-liter foudres. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter and Ecocert certification. Drink now."