In 2021 we managed to acquire our first vineyard that is over 60 years old in the Setúbal region.
But when we started in 2018, without our own grapes, we realized that with a so tiny and rich country, it makes all sense to travel from north to south of Portugal, finding the best plots and native varieties.
It is for this reason that we continue to travel across the country in search of secrets hidden in old vines and lost varieties.
People often criticize us for not making wine only from our vineyards.
And if in the past we could be thoughtful about that, today we are sure that we are on the right path!
Let’s see, in a highly desertified country, where more than half of the population lives on the coast and with fewer and fewer people in the countryside, we believe that we have a role in promoting all these magnificent places that we harvest, creating value among the populations and farmers who we visit. And above all, encourage other young people like us to do the same with their projects, in order to protect these gems from disappearing.
SETÚBAL
Our Vines
In the heart of the Setúbal region, in Pegões, our property extends over three hectares of old Castelão vines, the most typical red grape in the region.
The sandy soils and the presence of water at low depths, make this a unique place where the vineyard has the optimal conditions of heat and exposure for complete maturation and phenolic richness.
Since 2021, we have been taking care of this vineyard, and we have eliminated all conventional agricultural products. Today it is a vineyard managed only with organic farming treatments and we are not looking for a high yield, but rather a total balance of the vineyard, production and the surrounding ecosystem.
Also in this location, thanks to the proximity we have to local growers, we harvest Moscatel and Moscatel Roxo in two different vineyards close to our winery.
Moscatel is the most prominent variety in this area, a very aromatic slow-ripening grape.
Moscatel Roxo is a genetic variation of Alexandria Moscatel which in this region, given the environmental factors, ends up gaining pigmentation and has become a true symbol of this place.
Local producers fortify the must of both grapes. We let the fermentation go until the end to create our AMBAR.
LISBOA
As our project started in the Lisbon wine region, we ended up establishing a great relationship with the region and the winegrowers we got to know.
Today, we have specific vineyards that we harvest every year and are very different in terms of the area they occupy and the varieties that are planted.
This close relationship over several years allows us to have something to say regarding their cultural practices, being able to control the types of treatments of the properties and ensure the best sustainability.
Arinto is the grape we pick the most in this region, and it allows us to acidify white blends of Monda, Superavit and Ambar wines. In the cellar we do not use additives, Arinto is our natural source of tartaric acid given its great freshness.
Other grapes that we regularly pick in this region are Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional, among other more casual experiments.
DÃO
When in 2019 we thought about starting to travel to pick super traditional grapes from unique locations in Portugal, Dão was our first bet. This is where our Encruzado comes from, Vila Nova de Tazem, and since this first visit we have continued to harvest the same plot every year. We have already made other experiences with Rufete and Alfrocheiro, but it is the Encruzado vineyard that we fell in love with.
When you taste the wines, the minerality and body are unlike any other white we produce.
António is the caretaker of this relic hidden by the pine and oak forest and practices sustainable viticulture, from the ancient times, in complete harmony with nature.
The yield does not reach three tons per hectare and the berries are always small and concentrated, making incredible wines like our Oxydo.
TRÁS-OS-MONTES
Trás-Os-Montes is undoubtedly the most incredible location we harvest. Since the beginning of the project, we have been encouraged to work with these grapes by Luís’s family, who are from Miranda do Douro.
Finnaly in 2020 we made the first trip to this remote place that is almost 6 hours away from our winery, and since then we have been picking grapes there every year.
The truth is, nothing prepares you for the landscape you find and the quality of the vines.
On a plateau, sometimes at an altitude of 900 meters, this region is characterized by very old vines, sometimes more than 30 different varieties planted in the same land.
Due to the altitude and lack of humidity, there is not the pressure of fungus and other types of diseases on the vine as there is in other places. That’s why organic farming has always been practiced here, because it’s something natural and not because it’s fashionable.
It is in this region that we most feel the need to promote and protect agricultural practices. Sustainable viticulture is part of the region’s culture, with many old vines not yet mechanized.
These vineyards hide varieties that are part of Portugal’s genetic heritage and that are increasingly being abandoned due to lack of people to dedicate themselves to the fields.
We are therefore proud throughout the year to be able to closely follow the work of these people and be part of their world, trying to deliver back in the form of wine. Wines that can be sincere and tell their story.
