Antonio Madeira A Palheira

Garnet red in colour with purplish hue. The bouquet shows a pure expression of the best terroir of the Serra da Estrela delivering notes of red cherry, flowers, herbs and spice. The palate is fresh, mineral and clean with great structure and length on a persistent finish.

António Madeira is French of Portuguese descent, and his family roots are in the Serra da Estrela, Portugal’s highest mountain range located in the upper Dão region. António believes the heart of Dão lies in this mountainous region, and that the fine, fresh, mineral wines you can produce here - which he refers to as the 'Grands Crus of the Dão highlands' - have great ageing potential. He started researching the region in earnest in 2010, and discovered plots of old vines of native varietals such as Tinta Pinheira, Negro Mouro, Tinta Amarela and Baga. This viticultural heritage, combined with the free draining granite soils and excellent sun exposures make these sites distinct. He found a neglected 50-year-old vineyard in Serra da Estrela foothills, which he recuperated and used to produce his first wine in 2011. His winemaking philosophy is to respect the grapes and the natural environment. He farms sustainably, just using some sulphur treatments, in order to not mask the unique terroir. Grapes are hand harvested and winemaking is gentle, aiming for minimal extraction.