2023 Bojo do Luar Luiza Pet Nat

Grape Varietal: Espadeiro & Loureiro

Country: Portugal

Region: Vinho Verde, Felgueiras

The Wine: Bojo do Luar is the collaboration between American importer Savio Soares and local winemaker António Sousa, sparked by Savio's encounter with Fernando Paiva — a biodynamic pioneer in Vinho Verde and the first Portuguese producer to earn Demeter certification — who had been fermenting with ground chestnut flowers since long before anyone else thought to try it. The project uses indigenous northern Portuguese varieties, biodynamic farming on granitic soils near the Tâmega River, and zero intervention in the cellar.

Luiza is sourced from Rui Paiva — Fernando's nephew — who farms 4 hectares of 20-year-old vines near Felgueiras. The 2023 is 80% Espadeiro and 20% Loureiro, hand-harvested by three generations of the family, destemmed and foot-stomped in 100-year-old, 1,100-liter clay amphoras with 1kg of ground chestnut flowers mixed into the mass, then fermented spontaneously for three weeks and bottled unfiltered mid-fermentation with around 18g/l of residual sugar to finish in bottle — no disgorgement, no SO₂ added.

The 2023 Luiza is a rosy, frothy, and energetically alive pét-nat that smells like the countryside it came from. It opens with aromas of ripe peach, red berry, hibiscus, and a faint floral note from the chestnut — unusual and lovely. On the palate it is juicy and lightly creamy, with bright natural acidity, a gentle sweetness balanced by a brisk finish, and fine persistent bubbles that keep it animated to the last sip.

Pairing: Grilled sardines with lemon and sea salt, bacalhau croquettes with aioli, a platter of presunto and fresh bread, or a long warm afternoon on a stone terrace in northern Portugal with olives, cheese, and nowhere else to be.