Quinta da Boavista, "Rufia Dao Vinho Tinto" 2016

Producer: Once hailed as the “Burgundy of the South,” the northern end of the winemaking region ‘Dão’ located in the central corridor of Portugal, is well-renowned for the production of wines given to subtlety, finesse, and mineral-laden linearity, paired with an emphasis on site-specific transparency. The longtime Burgundian comparison is no surprise here. For winemaker João Tavares de Pina of the “Quinta da Boavista” estate, his family’s roots are well-planted squarely within this tradition. Living in his family’s 18th century home in their historic stead of Penalva do Castelo, the seeds of low-intervention fine-winemaking with an eye toward cultivating a polyculture around the vines are in evidence throughout their acreage. The vineyards are rimmed with oak tree and eucalyptus groves and wear thick and generous cover crop: chamomile flowering beside clover and rows of lavender, legumes like hard-seeded serradella being particularly beneficial in the cultivation of a robust microbial life within these granitic & clay soils. The wines of Quinta da Boavista are soulful and honest renditions of indigenous grapes like Jaen, Touriga Nacional, and Pinheira, with the silken texture of not Burgundy but… well, the Dão.

Vinification: 40% Jaen (aka Mencía), 40% Tinta Pinheira and 20% Touriga Nacional from granite and schist soil. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with the skins in open-top stainless steel tank for 8-10 days. The wine rests on the lees for 9 months in used oak, and is bottled unfined, unfiltered with a touch of SO2.

Tasting: A fresh, energetic but rustic red destined for a mediterranean spread (lamb hummus?)... Medium bodied with lots of concentrated red fruit, mushroomy umami and a smattering of tannins at the finish. Serve just below room temperature and pair with something savory and rich.