Joao Pato Duckman "White Duck" Vinho Branco 2024

Press 4 Mix/White • June/July 2026 Direct Press Selection

Maria Joao Pato comes from a family that has been raising the bar for quality in Portuguese wines for some time now. In the 1990s her father Luis Pato became a champion of the unique qualities and native grapes of his home region of Bairrada, which is north of Lisbon, south of Porto, and west of the Dao, with the Atlantic Ocean nearby. Maria's older sister Filipa Pato went out on her own in the early 2000s, getting biodynamic certification and becoming an early standout in Bairrada and Portugal's natural wine scene. Maria began making the Duckman wines with her family's vines and now has fully taken over from her father. The Duckman line is typically very low intervention, with just a small sulfur addition if needed.

Duckman White is 100% Bical, all done in stainless steel. It's very salty but in the way of a refreshing electrolyte tonic. Notes of hay, lemon verbena, and spicy pear, with lower acid and a little bit of texture to give it dimension. It's a riper, more complex version of this wine than previous vintages, and all the more delicious for it. Jonathan Kemp