Vineyards and winemaking
Myndru Tinto is drawn from Alfrocheiro, Tinta Grossa and Baga planted on the slopes of the Serra do Mendro. The vines grow in poor, shallow soils derived from diorite and schist, with elevation and cooling breezes helping these characterful Portuguese varieties retain fragrance, acidity and a distinctly mineral profile.
The 2019 wine was fermented and matured for 12 months in cocciopesto amphorae, vessels made from a porous blend of terracotta, stone and natural binding materials. This gentle, neutral élevage encourages slow exchange with the air while preserving fruit purity and giving the wine its fine, unvarnished texture.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Translucent ruby red with crimson highlights and a bright, gently fading rim.
Nose
Fresh red cherry, wild strawberry and cranberry mingle with rockrose, dried herbs, pink peppercorn and a cool, stony note. The perfume is lifted and intricate rather than overtly powerful.
Palate
Supple and energetic, with tart red fruit, savoury spice and fine-grained tannins. Alfrocheiro brings fragrance, Baga contributes line and grip, and Tinta Grossa lends regional character. Amphora ageing leaves the fruit unobscured, leading to a dry, mineral finish with a gentle echo of herbs and red berries.
Food pairing
Try with grilled quail, duck leg with braised lentils, lamb kidneys on toast, or wild mushrooms with pearl barley and thyme. Its freshness and moderate weight also make it a thoughtful choice for charcuterie or a warm salad of roast beetroot and goat's cheese.
Background story
Herdade Aldeia de Cima is the Amorim family's Alentejo estate near Santana, surrounded by cork and holm oak forest, old olive trees and a carefully restored agricultural landscape. Under LuÃsa Amorim and Francisco Rêgo, the project places organic farming, biodiversity and the recovery of local traditions at the centre of its work.
Myndru takes its name from the Serra do Mendro and looks back to the region's long history of clay-vessel winemaking without becoming a historical pastiche. Produced in very limited quantities, it is a particularly transparent expression of the estate: native varieties, austere hillside soils and cocciopesto amphorae combine in a red defined by perfume, texture and place.
