There are wines you sip politely, nodding in vague approval—then there are wines that reach across the table, grab you by the shirt collar, and insist you pay attention.
Nuno Mira do Ó’s Arinto 2021 falls into the latter category. It’s not here to make friends—it’s here to make a point. A point about limestone, about sea breeze, about what happens when you give Arinto enough time, air, and respect to stop being the lemony sidekick in blends and start behaving like the main character. If white Burgundy took a sabbatical in Portugal and came back with a suntan, this might be the result.
The Human
Calling Nuno Mira do Ó a “winemaker” is like calling a druid a “man with a stick.” He’s a vine hunter, a terroir whisperer, and a habitual trespasser on other people’s hillsides—always in search of ancient, ungrafted, pre-clone vines the government forgot to sterilise with progress. His résumé reads like an accidental pilgrimage: Bucelas for Arinto, Dão for Encruzado, Bairrada for Baga, Alentejo for… well, someone has to. He has no time for contiguous vineyards or the comfort of a single region.
The Lisboa-area Arinto will be an eye-opener for those unfamiliar with vibrance and depth this grape is capable of—in proper hands
The Process
This particular Arinto comes from two small Bucelas vineyards—one lowland and freezing cold on deep clay-limestone soils, the other clinging to a sunny slope of hard limestone that’s as easy to farm as a pile of knives. The grapes are pressed whole-cluster, allowed to settle naturally, and then coaxed into a slow, almost year-long fermentation—80% in stainless steel, 20% in well-behaved used barrels. Lees are not just tolerated, they’re embraced for ten months before bottling. No flash, no gimmicks—just the kind of patient, stubborn winemaking that gives the grape nowhere to hide.
The Taste
It’s all there—minerality so sharp it could double as a straight razor, citrus so pure it makes lemons jealous, and a backbone of acidity that somehow manages to feel generous rather than punishing. There’s a saline whisper, a floral lift, and a structure that suggests it’s equally happy dazzling at dinner tonight or brooding in a cellar for a decade. Think Chablis with a Portuguese passport and a habit of staying out too late.
Handling
Serve it chilled but not cold—around 10–12°C—to let the stone fruit and white flower notes actually speak. Pair it with oysters if you want to show off, or grilled sardines if you prefer to keep your halo slightly crooked. This is a wine that likes sharp knives, lemon wedges, and tables full of good gossip.
The Takeaway
Arinto 2021 isn’t just another bright Portuguese white—it’s a masterclass in why Arinto, in the right hands, can punch far above its weight. Nuno hasn’t just made a wine; he’s carved a little limestone epiphany into glass form. Drink it now for the thrill, or later for the slow clap.
