Even though Portugal holds true undiscovered treasures in terms of native grape varieties and wine styles, some regions have been subjected to pressure from the international market and have planted international varieties like Syrah, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Luckily wine producer Rocim has vineyards spread throughout the country, all the way to the islands of Madeira and the Azores, to bring back the true essence of Portuguese wines!
The wine producing company of Rocim is led by Pedro Ribeiro and his wife Caterina Vieira and focusses on wines that display a lively acidity, elegance, balance and structure. Almost 25 years ago, in 2000, they started the journey in Alentejo, located in the south of Portugal. The sub-region of Vidigeuira provides certain cool spots that ensure grapes to retain their natural acidity and elegance. Whether this is obtained by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean or morning mists to cool down the grapes. After the success of Alentejo, the couple applied the same philosophy in the regions of Lisbon, Douro, the Azores, Bairrada and all over the rest of Portugal.
A selection of wines was tasted to represent their mission, each telling its own story about the wine and the region!
The first wine that was tasted was the white O Estrangeiro Dão, providing a field blend of old varieties. The vineyards are located close to the river, that way the grapes get plenty of sun exposure, resulting in a rich minerality with notes of overripe apple. Aged on oak for one year.
The Oceãnico is a white single variety from the island of Pico, part of the Azores. The extreme climate ensures different challenges for the wine makers. Pico is the most traditional in terms of wine making for all of the Azores. The wine is made from the Arinto dos Açores. A different Arinto than the one coming from the mainland yet shares the same notes of crisp acidity and aging potential. The saltiness of this wine makes it a great companion to be served with lean fish or even the traditional dish of bacalhau (white codfish).
With the third white, Vale da Mata, we get a glimpse into the childhood of Catarina, with vines planted by her grandfather in the region of greater Lisbon. A blend of Arinto and Vital coming from old vines display a touch of sea salt, along with vivid minerality, pickled lemon peel and a subtle richness on the palate.
The funny character of Dr. Bruno represents the ‘Claret’ style of the Baga wine coming from Bairrada. The Claret style implies an intentionally lighter made style of red wine, where fruit characters prevail. Maceration-carbonique has been used and after that the wine has been aging on very old oak barrels to limit the influence of oak. A very different style of Baga that is seen throughout the rest of Portugal.
With the second red wine we land in the region of Alentejo, where it all began. The Herdade do Rocim, Amphora is a wine that as the name suggests is made according to the traditional way of wine making, using clay pots without any temperature control. Fermentation takes place within the amphora, using only natural yeasts. Made of the blend of mainly local grapes like Moreto, Trincadeira, Aragonez, and Tinta Grosso. This last one in particular is a variety that has almost been extinct in the region. Although the Tinta Grosso does not add that much colour, a difference in moments of picking ensures a balanced smooth and acidic blend, as some of the grapes are not completely ripe yet. When the wine is aging in the amphora, a layer of olive oil is added to protect from oxidation. This will act as a natural filter and sulphite is only added at the last minute and in the bare minimum of the amount.
Vinha da Micaela, coming from the moderate region of Vidigueira in the Alentejo, is named after the previous owner of these vineyards. This blend consists of almost 20 different grape varieties like Moreto, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouchet, but also some local white varieties to ensure the freshness. The grapes for this blend were picked all at once and then put 6 months on amphoras for fermentation and aging, followed by 2 years of aging on oak barrels and up to 6 months of aging on bottle before its release.
This wine is a result of a search for the perfect blend since the beginning of when Pedro and Catarina took over these vineyards. A farmer, employed by Rocim at the time had made wine from a still unknown blend of the most excellent quality! The wine was called Jupiter, because the flavour and quality were from another world! The contents of this blend remain a mystery till this day…
With the wines of Rocim, you embark on a surprising journey throughout the history of winemaking with a true reflection of the terroir, grape varieties and micro-climates that every region in Portugal has to offer!
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