Ramilo Vinhas Velhas Tinto

Ramilo are an excellent Portuguese producer who, since 2013, has been under the direction of brothers Nuno and Pedro Ramilo. They rebuilt the family estates - saved old vines and planted new ones, and have transitioned from being simple grape growers to being an estate wine producer.

Now in the fourth generation, Ramilo make fresh wines from old, low-yielding vines, grown on clay-limestone soils in Portugal’s Lizandro Valley. The proximity to the coast really comes through in all of their wines, offering this Atlantic, fresh, saline influence. This is a true old-vine Castelão from a 50 year old plot with a small percentage of other, mostly unknown red and white varieties thrown in the mix.

It’s traditionally and very naturally made, with de-stemming, foot-treading, and fermentation in a large stone lagar. There's absolutely no oak, just slow ageing in both vat and bottle. It has bags of ripe fruit – dark berries, damson and sloes – with a crunchy sour cherry note, light florals and earth. There’s a rustic tannic bramble element to it, but is brought to life with refreshing acidity and overall minerality.

A wine that you’ll keep wanting to return to – both elegant and powerful.