Carlos Lucas Vinhos, Portugal

A pioneer of modern-style Portuguese wines and a talented winemaker with nearly 30 years of experience, he has replanted the vineyards at Quinta do Ribeiro Santo where his Dão wines are created from the area’s poor granite soils. His commitment to the region was affirmed when he acquired Quinta de Santa Maria, in Cabanas de Viriato, a ten-hectare plot of old vines planted with Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrochiero and Jaen. Vineyards are managed using an integrated crop management system, with grapes harvested by hand into small boxes and careful selection in the vineyard, in order to produce a modern expression of authentic Portuguese varieties. His other projects take him across the country, and with the latest addition, ‘A River Runs Through It’ from the Douro we can see his immeasurable talent on display once again.

Viticulture

The vineyards are planted in poor ground granite soils, surrounded by pine forests, eucalyptus and oak trees. Focused on sustainable growth & energy sustainability, the Quinta do Ribeiro Santo vineyard won the 2014 Agricultural Award of the Year, awarded by the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture.

Winemaking

Grapes were harvested by hand in the second week of September, into small boxes of 18kg, according to a careful selection of the best grapes in the vineyard. The grapes were completely de-stemmed to small stainless-steel tanks, where they macerated for 24h at low temperature, before starting the fermentation with selected yeasts at controlled temperature. The fermentation lasted for 12 days with gentle pumping for good extraction of colour and aromas. After the fermentation, the wine was stored in stainless steel vats, developing aromas of fresh fruit.