2019 Maçanita Vinhos Douro Tinto

The dramatic Douro Valley upriver from Portugal’s second city, Oporto, has been dedicated almost entirely to port production but is now also a large producer of red wines.  This remote valley has viciously cold winters, incredibly hot and dry summers and the slopes so steep (up to 60 degrees) that few plants can grow. But deep-rooted vines, often on painstakingly constructed terraces, manage to burrow their way through the rock to such water as there is. Yields are very low and the grapes naturally very concentrated in colour, tannin and sugars to ferment into alcohol. All of which makes for some exciting red wine.

The Maçanita Vinhos project was created in the Douro by siblings Joana and António Maçanita back in 2011. Having worked together in over 14 wineries around the country, they wanted the new project to reflect their experiences and aspirations; lots of laughter, lots of arguments and an ethos of questioning the existing way of doing things.  The wines of Maçanita express this spectacular landscape through indigenous grape varieties from old vines and a non-interventionist approach.

The Douro Tinto is a concentrated violet ruby color, has an intense nose, with ripe fruit and floral notes, combined with the aroma of red fruits. Full bodied, round and with great length.