Azevedo Vinho Verde Loureiro/Alvarinho

Tasting Notes

This wine is clear and bright with youthful hues. It has intense aromas of fresh citrus fruit, ripe nectarine, lime blossom and herbaceous hints. Wonderfully refreshing on the palate with aromatic citrus and stone fruit notes, a lively acidity and a crisp and clean finish.

Vineyards

Eschewing the traditional high-trained pergolas of the Vinho Verde region, the Azevedo vineyards were devised using a modern cordon-trained system. This ensures better exposure of the grapes and aeration of the vine canopy, which prevents disease and results in riper and healthier fruit at harvest. The vineyards are farmed following sustainable practices and cover crops are planted between the vines rows, these help to improve soil health, to absorb excess rainwater and to encourage biodiversity in the vineyard.

Producer

The 35-hectare Azevedo estate is located in the Vinho Verde sub-region of Cávado, just 25 kilometres from the Atlantic coast. The land was granted to the Azevedo family by royal decree in the 12th century and the manor house and tower (seen on the labels) date back to the 15th century. However, this fantastic history is in contrast to a very modern approach to viticulture and winemaking.

Fernando Guedes acquired the estate in 1982 and immediately set out to transform it. Traditionally, overhead pergola systems were used in the region to make use of every piece of land. While good for the farmers, who could grow other crops and rear livestock underneath the pergolas, this was not conducive to quality wine production. Fernando moved away from these pergolas and planted cordon-trained vines, allowing more air circulation within the vine canopy and sun exposure for the grapes, resulting in riper and healthier grapes at harvest. Harvesting is done by machine at night to ensure the freshness of the grapes is preserved.

Diogo Sepúlveda is at the winemaking helm and makes wines marked by a signature freshness and pure, precise flavours. Fermentation takes place in stainless-steel tanks at cool temperatures to retain the varieties’ natural freshness and aromatics. The delicate Loureiro lends notes of lime blossom and subtle hints of bay leaf to the wines, while Alvarinho brings stone fruit aromas, structure and complexity.

The Loureiro/Alvarinho is a crisp and refreshing wine, boasting aromas of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine and freshly cut apple. The Alvarinho Reserva fruit is sourced from vineyards slightly further inland, more sheltered from the cooling influence of the Atlantic, and shows more weight and texture due to a longer period of skin maceration before the ferment and lees stirring for three months following the ferment. It is rich and aromatically intense with nectarine, apricot and mango aromas balanced by a lively acidity.