Portugal is a fantastic wine country, producing everything from light white frizzy wines to powerful Port wines. Often the grape varieties used are indigenous grapes, that many people do not recognize so well. We have tried Aphros Phaunus Pet Nat Rosé 2021, with nr 94229 at Swedish Systembolaget and at the price 235 SEK.

This sparkling wine, made in the traditional style called Méthode ancestral or Pétillant Naturel – Pet Nat, comes from the northwestern district in Minho called Vinho Verde. It is made from 50% Alvarelhão and 50% Vinhão. The production method means that partly fermented must is put into bottles and the remaining sugar is converted into alcohol and CO2 , providing the effervescence in the bottle (no extra addition of yeast and sugar). The residual sugar in this wine was 12 g/l when it was bottled, and it was kept on the lees for three months. The final alcohol level is 11 % abv, and the wine has a nice effervescence and is dry.

The producer is Adega Aphros Wine, who was started in 2002 by Vasco Croft and the vineyards are kept according to biodynamic principles.

The wine has a pale pink-orange colour, with a fine mousse. On the nose there are notes of roses, red apples, peach, blood orange and wild strawberries. On the palate we also find herbal and mineral notes, fresh high acidity and with a well-balanced and salty finish.

We find this rosé very pleasant and easy to pair with buffets, salads, fish, light meat dishes as well as Asian food! It is also very nice as an apéritif and well worth its price – we give this interesting Portuguese rosé Pet Nat 89 points!