Until his tragic passing earlier this year, Carlos Raposo was one of Portugal’s great young talents: head winemaker at Niepoort (having taken over for Luis Seabra, with whom he spent many vintages), he left the estate in 2018 to make his own wine, Vinhos Imperfeitos.

The wines were so incredible, so special – Dirk Niepoort declared them “the greatest white wines in the history of Portugal” and bought much of the production himself. These are those wines.

From meticulously selected old vine parcels in Vinho Verde and Dão, Carlos’ goal was to show each region’s maximum potential. And Dirk’s statement isn’t just hyperbole: these are visceral, astonishingly good wines. Ironically, in the last container that Carlos sent stateside. What a way to remember his special work.

Our Chris Leon visited Carlos at his house on his most recent trip to Portugal. The lasting memory was not only of his (very good) wine, but of a warmest welcome. A goes-back-generations home filled with fascinating pieces of family history; a generous wheel of Queijo Serra da Estrela. An experience that speaks to the person behind the wine. Carlos will be missed.

2018 Vinhos Imperfeitos 'Três Pontos' Branco, Vinho Verde, $120
A sublime expression of Vinho Verde, pure granite-driven petrichor. Touches of aromatics and texture make this one of the most complex examples from the appellation we’ve ever tasted.

2018 Vinhos Imperfeitos 'D&V Code' Branco, Portugal, $188
A blend of his Dão and Vinho Verde parcels, vinified in concrete and used barrels from Puligny-Montrachet. The effect reads like Coteaux Champenois with Portuguese aromatics layered on top; a tremendous, vertical wine.

2018 Vinhos Imperfeitos 'Imperfeito' Branco, Dão, Portugal, $338
The wine that started it all, from 150 year old vines in one of the highest elevation vineyards in Dão; field blend of many varieties aged in used Puligny-Montrachet barrels and concrete tanks that date to the '60s. A nose that feels like pure chalk unwinds into smoky, saline citrus and delicate green fruit; just an incredibly complex wine that deftly balances electric power and delicacy.

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