'Carmin' Rosé Penho 2021

"Carmin" Rosé is a recent creation of Penho Wines, a very young winery that pursues a philosophy of total immersion in the natural environment that surrounds it, without any intervention in terms of chemical compounds in the vineyard, as well as even minimally invasive processing in the cellar. The logo printed on the label appears as a declaration of belonging to the place where its wines are born: it represents the grain pattern of the centuries-old wooden door of the mill that Ricardo Moreira repurposed as a winery in 2017, echoing the vineyard and family tradition.

"Carmin" Rosé from the Penho winery represents an original interpretation of the type and terroir from which it originates. The grapes used are absolutely typical Portuguese varieties: Trajadura, a white berry with delicate aromas and good synthesis of sugars and acidity, and Vinhão, a black berry with powerful coloring power, sweet aromas and high acidity. The two grape varieties are grown on the family plot that stretches across the Minho region, the northwestern tip of Portugal, within the Vinho Verde appellation: altitudes range from 180 to 550 meters above sea level, and the soil is characterized by a mix of granitic rocks, quartz and schist. In a definitively Atlantic climate, the harvest is carried out by hand and the grapes brought to the winery follow a rather peculiar winemaking procedure: the must of the white berry variety is left to macerate with the skins of the dark variety, creating a very special combination that goes beyond the singular color shade. Fermentation is spontaneous and conducted solely by wild yeasts inside the centuries-old granite vat of the old mill, where the winery has now found its home. The wine undergoes no handling, filtration or other manipulation before being bottled.

Incredible is the color of Penho Wines winery's "Carmin" Rosé: a bright ruby robe with deep pink hues, which almost leaves one expecting a diaphanous red wine rather than a rosé. The surprise continues on the nose, with aromas that combine notes of white-fleshed fruits and stony references, typical of the white Trajadura, with sensations of fresh red fruit, characteristic of the black Vinhão. The taste reveals a slender body, with delicate tannins and a lively freshness, while the fruity hints of strawberry, currant, apple and peach return, almost making us think of the thousand fruit trees that surround the Quinta de Penhó vineyard.