Quinta do Romeu 'Atelier' Palhete 2023 (750ml)

The Atelier Palhete is Romeu’s tribute to the long tradition of making wine in Portugal where red grapes were often blended with white grapes for an easy style of drinking. This wine is a co-fermentation of 20% white grapes (mainly Gouveio, Arinto, and Rabigato) and 80% red grapes (mainly Tinta Barroca – and picked from the coolest spot in the vineyard near a stream and lots of trees), that is done in old granite lagars without any temperature control. After only 4 days, the wine went to a vertical press and then aged in stainless steel tanks over the winter for a gravity-led bottling without any fining or filtration. The resulting wine is low in extraction, low in alcohol, and wildly expressive and aromatic, meant for consuming easily and enjoying glass after glass. Rasberries, rose petals, and fresh thyme comes off on the nose, followed by a fresh and vivacious palate that leans toward red fruit and soft earthy spice, lively with acidity, and finishes with juicy freshness.

In 1874, Clemente Guimarães Menéres had the vision for his family to produce some of Portugal's greatest wines and olive oil and founded this family business. Now, the family resides in the district of Bragança (in the northeast side of Portugal) and has a beautiful estate that sits in the far northeast of the Douro wine region. A steadfast commitment to the harmony of their project is truly spectacular, as they seek balance between their crops, the environment, their people, and their economy. An awareness of the feet on the ground and the divine in heaven guides their practices. Since 1997, their entire production is certified organic and they practice many biodynamic philosophies on about 25 hectares of grapes and 120 hectares of olives. Naturally, they see the benefits of zero additives to the wine and minimal additions of sulfur, and avoid all international varieties to focus only on the local indigenous grapes (where Touriga Nacional in this area shows an intense floral component from the unique shale soils). Romeu is making some of the cleanest and most beautiful dry reds that we have found throughout Portugal!

Tech Sheet