In Stores Saturday, January 7
The Douro Valley is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, first outlined in 1756 and now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While best known for the production of fortified Port wines, recent years have seen table wine production flourish. Planted into poor soils of schist and granite and arranged in terraces on the steep slopes by the Douro River, these old vines dig deep in search of water and nutrients.
This wine is made from these old vines, indigenous Portuguese varieties co-planted along the terraces. These mixed plantings are something of an endangered species – more work to maintain than modern, mono-varietal plantings, many are being ripped out and re-planted. Francisco and his team believe in preserving these historic vineyards and the character of the Douro along with them.
This is a full-bodied wine, concentrated but refreshing and with rounded tannins. Un-oaked and fruit forward with flavours and aromas of dark berry fruit supported by a spicy mineral texture. A great wine for fending off those cold and wet winter nights, and a great partner for a charcuterie board! Roger Voss of Wine Enthusiast awarded this vintage 90 points, and called it a ‘Best Buy’. “A powerful wine with dark tannins and rich fruits, this is already showing its style. Produced on typical Douro terraced vineyards, the wine offers plenty of firm minerality and ripe blackberry fruits. The wine will smooth out and should be ready from 2024.”
Retail $15.95 / btl (case of 6)
Wines are sold in cases of 12 bottles unless otherwise indicated. Delivery charges may apply. Some quantities are limited, and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
About Lua Cheia-Saven
Lua Cheia-Saven is a Portuguese wine producer founded by winemaker Francisco Baptista and businessman Manuel Dias in 2009 and produces wines from some of the most important regions in Portugal, such as Vinho Verde, Douro, Dao, and Alentejo. Francisco received a degree in Agri-Food Engineering and a degree in Oenology at the university of Tras-os-Montes in 1994 and Alto Douro in 1999. Manuel, who sadly passed away in 2019, was a businessman, the guiding force behind the creation of Saven S.A and who liked to ‘create businesses in reverse and with no funding’.
Collectively Lua Cheia-Saven has over 40 hectares of vineyards in Vinho Verde, Douro which they farm organically. In partnership with local growers, who also farm organically, they have access to a total of 200 hectares – including sites in Alentejo and Dâo. Portuguese laws do not allow for the transportation of grapes between regions, so Lua Cheia-Saven operates 5 different wineries across Portugal with a dedicated team at each winery.
