Cellar Profile
Antonio Lopes Ribiero and Sara Dionisio left their steady jobs in the art world in Lisbon and moved back to Mouraz, Antonio’s birthplace where his family has had vineyards for many generations. The land had been farmed organically before, and that’s how Sara and Antonio wished to continue. Making wine in their tiny winery, adjacent to the local village church and just a stone’s throw away from the house Antonio was born in, they have deep generational ties to their village, Mouraz, and its terroir. In the cellar, there is a marriage of old and traditional, with modern approaches. Gentle pressings, natural yeast starters, long lees contact in the wine and minimal handling are the time-honored practices. Stainless steel tanks with temperature control and pneumatic presses represent the modern improvements. The results are clear: fresh and pleasurable wines with pure expressions of the older grape vines from which they were sourced and distinct transparency to the terroir they have grown up on.
Region
Vinho Verde is located within the Minho region of northern Portugal, the largest wine producing region in the country. The region is comprised of 9 sub-regions with borders starting at the Minho River, which separates northern Portugal from Spain, and following the Atlantic coast south to Oporto. South of Oporto, the wine region’s border follows and then crosses the Douro River. Thanks to its coastal Atlantic setting, Vinho Verde’s climate is mild and damp. This makes planting, protecting and harvesting the grapes very challenging, given the constant threat of rot, fungus and frost. The granitic vineyards of Casa de Mouraz sit in the valley of the Lima River, just 7 km from the Atlantic Ocean.
Vineyard
Casa de Mouraz vineyards are farmed naturally and biodynamically. Vinho Verde can be quite rainy at times, so it is vital that care is taken in the vineyards to mitigate any mildew, while the intensely hot summers need careful canopy management to prevent sugar spikes.
Winemaking
Manual harvesting of the grapes in the cool evening. Crush taking place the same night in order for the spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts to be controlled, long and slow. Bottled unfiltered.
Varieties
Although now widely disseminated throughout the Vinho Verde region, it seems that the Loureiro grape originated in the valley of the River Lima, towards the north of the Vinho Regional Minho/DOC Vinho Verde region. The bunches are elongated and relatively compact, bearing medium-sized, yellowish-greenish grapes. “Loureiro” means “laurel” or “bay” and the aroma of these wines is said to resemble that of laurel flowers, with orange blossom, acacia and lime blossom overlaying appley, peachy fruit. They usually have refreshing, well-balanced acidity. Nowadays, Loureiro is often bottled as a single variety, but traditionally it was blended with Arinto (Pedernã) and Alvarinho, or with Trajadura. It is a very vigorous, high-yielding variety that has only recently been recognized as “noble”.
Tasting Notes
Classic Vinho Verde flavours, but none of the “spritz”. Part of the new wave of cutting edge producers in the region, Casa de Mouraz has crafted an approachable yet complex refreshing sipper. Minerality, citrus, green apple and white flower elements on the nose, as well as the palate. The fruit isn’t lean, there’s plenty of stuffing, but it tends toward the tart fruit, which makes it a great patio sipper or a wonderful choice with grilled white fish and lemon.