Vinho Madeirense, Caracol dos Profetas, Maçanita + Faria - 2023

Considered one of the most dynamic young winemakers of his generation, António Maçanita makes wines from the Azores archipelago to the Alentejo, via Porto Santo, a small island off the coast of Madeira. He excels in his ability to capture the essence of the terroir and regional traditions. The project featured here was created with his friend of fifteen years, Nuno Faria, a restaurateur. The island of Porto Santo emerged 14 million years ago from the Atlantic Ocean, making it one of the oldest of the Portuguese archipelagos. The ancients say that it was here that the ripest grapes were harvested. Today, less than 14 hectares of vines remain. The inhabitants of Porto Santo are known as the 'Prophets', an ancient nickname that takes on its full meaning when you see these old vines planted by the sea, close to the ground, protected from the ocean and the wind by rock walls and pergolas. The wines produced here dazzled us with their finesse, freshness and easy-to-digest character. Wines that we would never have blind-tasted in Portugal! Quite a discovery, alas, in very small quantities...