1977 Niepoort's Vintage Port

Freire Lobo is a small winery owned and operated by Elisa Freire Lobo located in Oliveira do Hospital, in the central region of Portugal’s Dão region. Elisa has been involved in wine for many years, and perhaps the most profound experience was being assistant winemaker to Alvaro Castro for several years. From her experiences she developed her own philosophy, which is to make wines that express their true sense of place. Elisa farms 7 hectares of family owned vineyards located in 4 different parcels. Two of the vineyards are close to Oliveira do Hospital, and the two others are close to Gouveia, closer to the Serra da Estrela mountain range. all of the vineyards are 500 to 550 meters in altitude. In 2013, Elisa immediately transformed these vineyards and reintroduced the old pruning guyot method to get smaller yields, and stopped using any chemicals. All fertilization is made with sheep manure, and she only use indigenous yeast and sulfur in low doses. Very little work is done in the cellar - the main focus is in the vineyards. We've had a long run on the Casual Cart with Elisa's entry white, which is probably the most serious white we offer under $15. Passholders get the first look at this selection from vines growing in granitic soils, which typically emphasizes angularity and glassy purity. This full-throated white easily ventures into pairings typically associated with reds, as its structure and depth belies its color.

“Achados e Perdidos” means “Lost and Found” in Portuguese….. This particular wine is the result of a bottle shared among friends. One friend bought a bottle of his grandfather’s tinto to share with two more friends whom he knew to be in search of old vines to work with. The grandfather in question wasn’t selling wine, just making it for himself and the extended family, all of whom had moved away from the agrarian life for jobs in the city. The winemaking duo were sufficiently impressed, most of all by the detail shared by the grandson…”it’s a field-blend.” They asked for a visit and upon their arrival the vineyard’s site, 3/4 of the way up the terraces Volta de Andrea, they found the future of their most interesting project in the Douro valley to date. - Village Wine Imports