16.5/20 - Jancis Robinson. One of the great Portuguese white wines, the rarely seen Cartuxa Pera-Manca Branco is the stuff of legend. It is produced in tiny quantities using a combination of Antao Vaz and Arinto grapes – two of Portugal’s finest white varieties - from the Eugenio de Almeida Foundation’s vineyards. Crafting the Cartuxa Pera-Manca Branco requires meticulous attention to detail at every step. Selected vines are carefully monitored and when deemed to have reached optimum ripeness the grapes are handpicked and destemmed, before being hand sorted at the winery. Following a cool (16°C) temperature-controlled fermentation it’s matured on its lees, before being bottled and aged for a further six months. Refined, sophisticated and stunningly complex, this is a must-try Portuguese white wine.

Vivino Rating: 4.5 (Jun 2025)

Wine Press Ratings

16.5 / 20 - Jancis Robinson (2020)

92 points - Cellar Tracker (2020)

Blend: Antão Vaz and Arinto

Taste

Green gold with white gold highlights, the Cartuxa Pera-Manca Branco looks as good as it tastes. Aromas of melon, peach stones, lemon and other citrus rise from the glass, with green herbs and orange zest adding depth. Fresh and tangy in the mouth, there is more than a touch of fine white Graves complexity to the palate. Beyond the citrus and minerals lie richer, softer flavours of apricot and green fig, giving an intense, vibrant yet rounded whole. Serve this stunning wine with fresh seafood, roasted cod or seabass, charcuterie or simply on its own.

About the Producer

The Cartuxa winery is one of the leading estates in Portugal’s Alentejo region, widely regarded as amongst Portugal’s finest.  Like so many Portuguese wines, Cartuxa offers a world-beating combination of quality and value. Uniquely, Cartuxa is owned by a charity, the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation. Proceeds from winemaking are used to promote cultural, educational, and social development in of the region. The Foundation is blessed with 600 hectares of well-sited vines and the focus is firmly on quality. Hand-tending and harvesting, ruthless selection and a scientific approach to which grapes are grown have led to Cartuxa’s wines being awarded the superior Denominação de Origem Controlada status. These powerful, generous, yet refined wines, are one of the hidden treasures of the wine world and are well-worth trying.