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www.buyersandcellars.ca Cellar Profile
Founded in the mid 1980s, Casa de Cello is the passion project of João Pedro Araujo. With four generations of family experience in viticulture behind him and an ambition to produce quality Vinho Verde, João decided to move away from the light, spritzy, mass-produced white wine styles of the region and focus, instead, on vineyard health and new oenological technology. João’s family estate, ‘Quinta de Sanjoanne’, is a 14-hectare property located in the town of Mancelos, in the historic Minho province in the far north of Portugal. Here, the focus is on sustainably growing grapes native to the region and producing wines with character, depth and the capacity to evolve over time. In the late 1990s, the family acquired their second estate, ‘Quinta da Vegia’. Located south-east of Vinho Verde, in the Dão region, 20 hectares of carefully-selected native varieties were planted and now produce some of the most exciting red wines in the country.
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, to say the least, given the constant threat of rot, fungus and frost. Quinta de Sanjoanne is located in the Amarante sub-region of Vinho-Verde. Although Amarante is located in the Minho inland, the Quinta is just 25 km from the Atlantic Ocean.
Vineyard
Over the years, Vinho Verde growers have developed several creative ways to minimize threats to their grapes including trellising vines along strings and wires, arching overhead, pergola-style and even climbing up the trunks of trees. These methods were developed to grow the grapes high enough to allow air to flow around the plants. Quinta de Sanjoanne’s 14 ha of estate vineyards are planted on fertile granitic soils. All vineyards are farmed sustainably.
Varieties
Alvarinho, one of Portugal’s finest and most characterful, was one of the first Portuguese grape varieties to be bottled as a single variety. Its full-bodied, subtly fragrant wines are complex with delicate aromas reminiscent of peach, lemon, passion fruit, lychee, orange zest, jasmine, orange blossom and lemon balm. The wines are delicious young, but they can also age well, often for ten years or more. Malvasia Fina wines are subtle, not particularly intense, reasonably fresh and moderately complex. They can display notes of beeswax and nutmeg, and the wine may appear slightly smoky even if it has not been matured in wood.
Winemaking
A blend of sustainably-farmed Alvarinho and Malvasia Fina grapes. Hand-harvested and fermented for 20 days in stainless steel tanks.
Tasting Notes
This gorgeous blend of Alvarinho and Malvasia Fina opens with flint, citrus and crushed white flower notes on the nose. The palate is nervy and vibrant, tingling with mouthwatering acidity. There is a surprising intensity, with plenty of depth. The flint and citrus continue from the nose to the palate, but there are notes of apricot and peach, ripe pear and a long finish.