Collection: Picotes

Picotês

António Picotes grew up in Sendim in Planalto Mirandês, the easternmost sub-region of Trás-os-Montes between the Douro Valley and Spain.   Passionate about wine, the civil engineer has taken over his family’s old field blend vineyards and renovated his grandfather’s traditional cellar, retaining the granite lagares for foot-treading and naturally fermenting his grapes.  He made his first experimental wine in 2019 and, since 2020, the range has expanded with consultancy from pioneering young guns Fred Machado and Ricardo Alves of Arribas Wine Company. 

Keen to highlight the diverse terroir and grapes of his sub-region, António’s parcels are located in two micro-terroirs.  At 700m with more clay content in the granite and shale soils, Termo de Sendim produces the freshest wines.  Earlier-ripening, the well-exposed granite and schist slopes of Arribas at 550m produce more structured wines.  All António’s parcels are in conversion to (certified) organic cultivation.  We reckon he is a name to watch.