Beiorte Sr. Roubado Tinto 2022

A beautifully poised, characterful red from Portugal's historic Dão region, made by João Costa and his wife Bea in the small mountain village of Santa Ovaia. The Beiorte project was born during the pandemic, when João and Bea returned to his family's ancestral village and restored his great-grandfather's old cellar — a labour of love built around preserving old vineyards, traditional methods, and the authentic character of the Dão before it's lost.

'Sr. Roubado' comes from old vineyards on granite soils in the cool-climate Alva sub-region, near the Serra do Açor mountains — a genuine field blend of Tinta Pinheira, Baga, Trincadeira, Alfrocheiro, Jaen, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Castelão, all grown and picked together in the true old Portuguese tradition. As the thinking goes, grapes of different shapes naturally belong together in the vineyard, and respecting that is simply staying true to the wine's nature. It's a style that gives this red remarkable finesse alongside earthy, tart red fruit — one of the things that makes Portuguese winemaking so distinctive.

Farmed biodynamically with minimal sulphite use, the fruit macerates for 10 days before gentle pressing, then ages 15 months in old oak barrels followed by 6 months in stainless steel. Bottled in June 2024. The high-altitude, cool conditions of Alva give the wine real lift and precision — fine-grained tannin and an elegant structure rather than sheer weight, which is the hallmark of the best Dão reds.

The name "Beiorte" comes from an old local dialect once spoken in the village, simply meaning "wine," and every cork carries the phrase "Beiorte Gido" — "good wine" — a small tribute to the region's culture and history.

Detailed and fragrant, Sr. Roubado 2022 shows red cherry and dark berry fruit layered with violet, earthy spice, and a long, savoury, mineral finish. Refined, energetic and full of personality — a wine that captures both the history and the future of Portuguese winemaking. 11.5% alc, 750ml.