Dominó Colar 2022

When Vitor Claro began working as a chef in the restaurant of prestigious winemaker Dirk Niepoort, he discovered his passion for making wine. This discovery finally led him to leave the restaurant and set up his own wine project with his wife Rita Ferreira in the city of Portalegre in Alentejo. There he makes fresh and modern wines that are elegant and not at all conventional.

From the famous region of Colares, though not from its infamous bush-trained vines. The vineyard is at 100m altitude. It&s mostly Castelão with some Caladoc and Aragonez. The word Colar translates to "necklace" but is also a clever hint of where the wine is from.

Fermentantion of whole bunches (50%) and destemmed whole grapes (50%) macerated in stainless steel for five days. Fermented (malo finished) and decanted in stainless steel. 25mg/kg of S02 is usually added to the grapes at press. In the spring, 25mg is added to the wine one month before bottling. Total SO2 is under 30mg/L.

Hailing from the beachside vineyards of Colares, just outside Lisbon is this delightful red blend that&ll have Gamay devotees hopping over the border.

Light in the glass, yet the saline and ferrous iron notes alongside sandy tannins give this more than enough oomph to stand up to a hearty meal.