More light red in appearance, though with the clean freshness of a rosé. André, the winemaker, feels that Beira Baixa has the potential to make wines that are delicate but powerful – like this. A beguiling wine with impressive length. Flavours both sappy and savoury – we got notes of hibiscus, rosewater, watermelon and umeboshi plum.

In 2020, after 15 years in the mainstream Portuguese wine industry, André Duque Lourenćo decided to stop making ‘Coca-Cola wines’ for other people. He chose instead to make his own small batch natural wines, from old vineyards planted with low-yielding, indigenous grape varieties. He founded the Gardunha Sul winery, and this wine is one of his ‘Primeiras Gotas’ – or first drops.

Andre’s mission, in his own words, is to

1) Have sustainable vineyards, with organic and biodynamic principles, with minimal intervention and treatments

2) Research and preserve old grape varieties – I don’t want quantities but typicity and uniqueness