In Joao and Leila’s words – “Sem Igual means “No Equal” or “Different from all Others”. It was chosen to define a white wine from the wine region of the Vinho Verde made with the local grapes of Arinto and Azal. The sophisticated and minimalist label design is from Celso Assunção, which was to meet the simplicity and beauty of the wine.”

Joao is the fourth generation of his family to farm this land, and after a few years in the world of IT in India decided to come back home with the aim of creating something special with the aid of Leila, his family and long-time winemaker, Jorge Sousa Pinto. The estate makes extremely dry Vinho Verdes, without residual CO2, which need time in the bottle to develop. The wines are characterised by a high level of complexity and depth, with superb razor-sharp acidity and long finishes. 

We first tasted their wines in 2022 and were immediately impressed with them, not surprisingly as they are catching the attention of wine critics worldwide and are becoming increasingly sought after. They will recalibrate your expectations of what wines from Vinho Verde can be.