Vasco Croft is a pioneer in biodynamic wine farming since he established his Aphros wine series in 2003. He disposes of some 20 hectares in the Lima Valley, in mostly granitic soil.
The Phaunus line is vinified in the historic medieval cellar, foot-trodden in lagares, then vinified in old amphorae from Alentejo. When I visited a couple of years ago he showed how all work was carried out without electricity, but with water, for instance.
This wine is based on loureio 85% and arinto 15%. It’s made according to the ancestral method. In this case it means pressing and decanting in inox vats, fermentation between 16 to 18ºC, first in inox vats, then finished in bottle, and dégorgement after 5 months. No added sugar nor yeast, unfiltered.
Phaunus Pét Nat 2020 (Aphros Wine/ Vasco Croft)
Light yellow with a green tinge, good mousse. Aromatic with apples, citrus, white flowers and some yeast. Fruity and stony with good concentration, very good acidity (from the varieties), that makes it last long.
Price: Medium