Raiola Red, 2019

The Arribas Wine Company project began in 2017, when Frederico Machado and Ricardo Alves decided after many nacional and international experiences that the time to start a more personal project had arrived, thus reflecting their own philosophy and winemaking style. The quest for diversity and a spot with unique characteristics took them to Bemposta, a small village from Mogadouro, where the grandparents of one of the founders were born. There they found very old vineyards, some of them recently abandoned due to the owners old age. It´s from the regeneration of their first plot, less than 2 ha, that their first wine Saroto was made. If Saroto is the local term to designate an animal with its tail cut off, the lizard pretends to simbolize the capacity of regeneration thus representing the will to recover and preserve such a rich and diverse heritage that otherwise would be lost. Tinta Gorda, Malvasia, Bastardo, Verdelho, Rufete, Bastardo Branco, Verdelho Vermelho, Tinta Serrana amoung other varieties and some yet to be identified, altitude, a wide variation of soils and exposures, traditional and sustainable viticulture and minimal intervention winemaking are the conducting wires of this project which aims at elevating the full potential of Arribas do Douro and its vineyards. The full potential of Arribas do Douro is yet to be unlocked and they keep exploring different vineyards and sites in order to fulfill their desire to fully understand the limits…