Douro Rosso 'Alfa' Mateus Nicolau de Almeida

The Lusitanian producer Mateus Nicolau de Almeida presents the 'Alfa' Red Douro, an artisanal label with a genuine spirit that evokes a sincere ancestral dimension. The 'Curral Teles' line, to which the 'Alfa' Red Douro belongs, includes expressions that arise from the vineyards surrounding Adega do Savel, the winery led by Mateus Nicolau along with his wife Teresa Ameztoy, located in Vila Nova de Foz Côa. The producer defines the labels in this range as "human wines", reflecting the influence of humans on the wine, from the choice of the grape variety to the ageing process. These bottles are produced in limited quantities only in some vintages based on the winery's experiences and are named after Greek alphabet letters in honour of the experiments carried out in the academies of ancient Greece.

The 'Alfa' Red Douro Curral Teles by Mateus Nicolau de Almeida is made from organic red grapes from the region, vinified according to practices adopted in antiquity by the Romans and Cistercian monks. After manual harvesting, the clusters are placed in the "calcatórium", an open and shallow granite tank, where they are foot-trodden for 3 hours. The subsequent alcoholic fermentation occurs spontaneously thanks to the presence of only indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks, and the maturation phase of 8 months also takes place in concrete before final bottling.

In the glass, Mateus Nicolau de Almeida's Curral Teles 'Alfa' Red Douro reveals a bright ruby red colour. The olfactory profile is painted with suggestions of wild berries, cherry, and aromatic herbs, adorned with delicate peppery undertones. The palate is rich and energetic, with juicy freshness and soft tannins guiding the smooth finish.