Antonio Madeira, Serra da Estrela
Antonio Madeira is borned and raised in Paris by Portuguese parents. Even though he like France and their wines, he felt an urge to go back to his roots and show the fantastic expressions you can get out of the slopes of Dao. Sadly, many of the great old vineyards in this region have been pulled out, and his goal was to identify the old ‘Grand Crus’ of this region and get this part of the world back on the wine map.
So in 2010, while he still lived in Paris, he went down and found 1 hectar of 50-year-old wines he thought he could do something extraordinary with and the project began. In 2011 he made his first wine from this vineyard, and since then, a lot has happened. Since 2017 he lives here full time and has 6 hectares, spread out on 6 villages and 23 different vineyard plots.
He has around 40 different indigenous varieties, 20 whites and 20 reds, there is a huge mix of them in all sites (old school planting) and the vines are all 50-120 years old.
Most of the vineyards are located on the foothills of Serra da Estrela, and the rest you find higher up in the mountains. Until 2018, Antonio was making all the wines in his garage,
until he finished constructing his own vinery.
The white wines are mineral, complex, spicy and fresh. The reds are fresh with intense fruit, high drinkability but with a serious structure to them.
2021 Branco (White)
Soil: Granit, a selection from 10 vineyards 500 m above sea level.
Grape: Mainly Siria, Fernao Pires, Bical, Arinto, Cerceal, but in total 20 old varieties you might not know.
Appellation: Wine of Portugal
Age of Vines: Planted 1948-1968
Vinification: Direct press, then decanted by gravity for 3 days before fermentation and ageing in 50% stainless steel tanks and 50% in old 500 liter barrels. Bottled in June 2022.
2019,2021 A Liberdade Branco (White)
Soil: Granit, a selection from 10 vineyards 500 m above sea level.
Grape: Mainly Siria, Fernao Pires, Bical, Arinto, Cerceal, but in total 20 old varieties.
Appellation: D.O.P Sub-Regiao de Estrela
Age of Vines: Planted 1948-1968
Vinification: Direct press, then decanted by gravity for 2 days before fermentation and ageing in stainless steel tanks for about a year.
2020 Vinhas Velhas Branco
Soil: Granit, from 10 different parcels 500-600 meters above sea level
Grape: Mainly Siria, Fernao Pires, Bical, Arinto, Cerceal, but in total 20 old varieties.
Appellation: D.O.P Sub-Regiao de Estrela
Age of Vines: Planted 1898-1968
Vinification: Direct press, then decanted by gravity for 3 days before fermentation and ageing in 30% stainless steel tanks and 70% in old austrian barrels.
2021 Ainda
Grapes: 40 different indigenous varieties, 80% red 20% white
Soil: Granit, 500 meters altitude
Age of vines: Planted 1939-1989
Vinfication: all grapes are co fermented 1 week with the skins before gentle pressing and then aged 8 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling.
Extra: this is a so called palhete (portuguese traditional cofermenting white and red grapes, it results in a beautiful vin de soif, with extra deepness and complexity due to old vines
2019, 2020 Tinto (Red)
Soil: Granit, 500 meters altitude
Grape: Mainly Alfrochiero, but a few percent of up to 15 different old indigineous varieties
Appellation: D.O.P Sub-Regiao de Estrela
Age of Vines: Planted 1939-1989
Vinification: All the grapes are destemmed and fermented with maceration on the skins for 3 weeks before careful pressing. The wine continues the fermentation and ageing for 18 months on old french barriques. Blending takes place and the wine rests for 3 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling.
2018 Tinto Vinhas Velhas (Red)
Soil: Granit, 500 meters altitude
Grape: Mainly Jean, Baga and Tinta Amarela, but in total 20 old indigineous varieties
Appellation: D.O.P Sub-Regiao de Estrela
Age of Vines: Planted 1919-1969
Vinification: All the grapes are destemmed and fermented with maceration on the skins for 3 weeks before careful pressing. The wine continues the fermentation and ageing for 18 months on old french barriques and demi muid. Blending takes place and the wine rests for 3 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling. 6000 bottles produced.
2016 Tinto A Centenaria (Red)
Soil: Granit, 500 meters altitude
Grape: Mainly Jean, Baga, Tinta Amarela and Negro Mouro but in total 20 old indigineous varieties
Appellation: D.O.P Sub-Regiao de Estrela
Age of Vines: Planted 1899
Vinification: All the grapes are destemmed and fermented with maceration on the skins for 3 weeks before careful pressing. The wine continues the fermentation and ageing for 18 months on old french barriques. Blending takes place and the wine rests for 3 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling. 750 bottles produced.