Aphros Ten 2023
- Region
- Portugal » Vinho Verde DOC
- Type
- white still, dry
- Producer
- Vintage
- 2023
- Grapes
- Loureiro
- Alcohol
- 10
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
- Region: Vinho Verde DOC – Sub-Region of Lima
- Variety: Loureiro 100%
- Exposition: South
- Area: ± 20 ha
- Production / HA: ± 4.000 litros / ha
- Harvest Date: 28 August to 24 rd September
- Alcohol: 10 % Vol
- Residual sugar: 5,0 g / dm3
- Total acidity: 8 g (Tartaric Acid) / dm3
- pH: 2,99
- Total sulphur: 60 mg/l
- Vinification: Pressing / Decantation in inox vats / Fermentation between 16 to 18º C / Aging “sur lies” for 2 months / Filtration / Bottling
Ratings
The 'Ten' takes its name from fermenting to ten degrees of alcohol, with 5g/L residual sugar providing perfect balance. Indigenous yeasts work their magic at cool temperatures, followed by two months on lees without bâtonnage. It's Vinho Verde stripped of its fizzy party dress and dressed in silk pyjamas instead. Delicate tangerine and lime zest dance with crystalline minerality. That touch of sweetness doesn't make it cloying – it makes it dangerously crushable. Like drinking liquid sunshine through a prism.
Same impressions as last time - fresh and light, but not hollow. It's the kind of wine that makes perfect sense in the heat - easy, refreshing, but with just enough substance to keep it from fading into the background.
The wine presents a slightly tropical nose with notes of salinity and white flowers. It showcases very high acidity, driven by a mineral core, leading to a long aftertaste. The finish is intriguing, with a hint of apple-flavored bubble gum adding a playful twist. While not overly complex, this wine is certainly pleasant. However, it might benefit from a few more months in the bottle before being opened.
About Producer
Vasco Croft is the mind behind Aphros. As a teenager, he dreamed of becoming an astrologer, but ended up studying architecture instead. That path shifted again when he discovered Rudolf Steiner's ideas - leading him to England, where he explored pedagogy and sculpture, eventually finding a rhythm in woodworking and furniture design.
It held his attention for a while. But in his thirties, he shared a bottle of wine with a Buddhist monk - and something clicked. For Vasco, it wasn't just a drink; it was an encounter with Dionysus. That moment rerouted everything.
In 2003, he returned to Casal do Paço, a semi-abandoned family estate dating back to the 17th century, and started making wine. Aphros was born.
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