2022 Cabecas Do Reguengo, Alentejo Portalegre Tinto, Respiro Clarete

João Afonso at Cabeças do Reguengo stewards centenarian, pre-phylloxera field blends in the Serra de São Mamede with a rigorous commitment to organic viticulture and the restoration of traditional polycultural systems. Sourced from high-altitude granitic and schistous parcels at 600 meters, the Portalegre terroir provides a cooler environment that facilitates the retention of natural acidity and structural nerve. The 2022 Respiro Clarete is a co-fermented field blend of over a dozen red and white indigenous varieties, where the season’s heat was mitigated by the mountain’s diurnal cooling and an early harvest to maintain its characteristic 11. 5% alcohol. Natural fermentation in cement followed by a nine-week maceration and aging in neutral oak ensures the wine’s architecture remains transparent, prioritizing mineral tension over phenolic weight. The resulting profile is lean and vertical, defined by high-toned acidity and fine-grained tannins that underscore a taut, "palhete" style traditional to the region's historic mountain viticulture.