Duckman Espumante Bruto Branco 2021

This is 100% Fernão Pires — known locally in Bairrada as Maria Gomes — sourced from 20-year-old vines planted on 2 hectares of sandy soil at a single site called Amoreira da Gândara. Grapes are harvested by hand in early September. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel with ambient yeasts over three weeks, with no temperature control. The wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in bottle in the traditional method, spending one year on lees before disgorgement with no dosage and no malolactic fermentation.

The result is a brut-style sparkling wine with firm natural acidity, fine bubbles, and the grape's signature aromatic lift: citrus peel, tangerine, stone fruit, and a faint spice note that Fernão Pires is known for. The year on lees adds a quiet biscuity texture without obscuring the wine's fresh, mineral core.

The Duckman label carries no indication of region — that is intentional. Maria Pato, who makes the wine, wants the place to speak through the wine itself rather than through the label. The wine is sold under the Vinho Regional Beira Atlântico designation, sourced from the family's estate vineyards in Bairrada. Farming is sustainable, with no added sulfites.