Antonio Madeira 2021 Tinto Dao, Portugal

The Wine

A blend which includes Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro Preto and Jaen. This red wine that will appeal to lovers of chillable reds (~55 degrees please!) like Beaujolais. Featuring aromas of red fruits, floral / spice notes and a most interesting mineral note that keeps this wine more interesting than many of its colleagues. 

The French would refer to this as a “vin de soif” (a thirst-quenching wine), a wine to be enjoyed on a casual day with friends. It is an elegant red wine with a notable freshness that begs to be paired with a wide array of foods.

Madeira's production area, Beiras, is in the DOC Dao. 14% ABV

The Winery

António Madeira (mah DIE rah) is a Frenchman of Portuguese descent whose family origins lie in the heart of Dão, an area known for wines that are long-lived, elegant and fresh. Before planting his first vine, Madeira conducted an extensive search for vineyards where he could make his own wines and return to his roots. Each of his plots are plots cultivated manually following biodynamic principles, and crafted with minimal intervention and no added chemicals.

After harvest, his whole clusters are traditionally foot-trodden and then fermented with their native yeasts in open tanks. The wine is racked into used French oak barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and ages for around 18 months, depending on what each specific vintage requires.