With the purpose of further establishing the pledge to one of the most successful Portuguese grape varieties – the Touriga Nacional – this vineyard is planted in 2002.

Of small size and oriented to the south on a slight slope, this plot has in the diversity and variation of its soils its most interesting characteristics. It ranges from a poorer area in organic matter to a rich one, clearly distinguished by the existing flora in the soil, as well as its darker colour. The Touriga Nacional, that stands here, transitioning to an organic variety, is a great example of the diversity of personalities that we can find in such small blocks of vineyard, which we aim to zone and separate every year, depending on the profile of each wine.

This block of Touriga Nacional in organic conversion mode was planted in the year 2000. The deep connection to the bordering stream and its proximity to the neighbouring landscape of trees make this block less exposed to the heat, resulting in a totally different profile. Throughout its soil, richer along the stream and poorer at the top, this vineyard favours a fresher Touriga, with less structure, by the stream, and at the top, a more mature profile, with a marked floral character.

Ribeira Vineyard B1: This vineyard was planted taking into account the typical varieties of the region: Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, and even Touriga Nacional, as well as the Touriga Franca, an uncommon variety in the Alentejo. This Touriga Nacional vineyard has the stream bordering it, as well as the protection that its medium slope offers to the west. The unstressed slope allows for less leached, thus richer, soils, whose heterogeneity is identified and zoned every harvest for each wine profile. The vineyard grows with moderate vigour, with freshness and acidity being the pillars to the character of the grapes it produces every year. In a hot region like this, northern exposure is, quite often, a gift.

Ribeira Vineyard B3: A parcela de Alicante Bouschet da Ribeira apresenta solos pobres e a exposição a oeste/sudoeste, impulsiona-lhe a personalidade de concentração e riqueza de fruta. A casta estrangeira mais portuguesa que se conhece, em tudo beneficia com esta relação entre exposição solar, inclinação e solos..

The Ribeira Vineyard’s Touriga Franca plot, opposite to the Touriga Nacional from the same block, is oriented more towards the south, with a steeper slope and without the protection of the vegetation found around the stream. Here, in this zone of the block, soils are less fertile and more compact. Concentration and elegance are the digital print of the caste in this area.

A land where once stood a pomegranate orchard gave rise to the most emblematic and iconic vineyard of our project. In 1999, the orchard was removed, and then in 2002 the Syrah and Touriga Franca grape varieties were planted. On an undulating slope of medium decline, this vine grew and developed on the roots of the old pomegranate trees, resulting in unique conditions of maturation for these two varieties every year, thus confining the richness of its wine and profile unique and exclusive to this area.

Planted in 2002, the Serra Brava had in its genesis the ambition to be a worthy representative of one of the largest Alentejo castes, the Alicante Bouschet. Although the plot presents quite a variety in its soils, due to the proximity of part of the vineyard to a branch of the stream, it is the poverty of these soils that most characterise it. The most vigorous rootstock is very representative of this same observation at the time of soil preparation. The reflection of the minerals released by the erosion of the granitic parent rock is very clear, as is the involvement of the vineyard facing east and the surrounding orography that allows for protection in the driest and hottest years. The freshness transmitted is evident and the longevity of the wines it produces, a certainty.

The Adega Vineyard, planted in 2000, comes with the very clear intent of producing grapes with different characteristics like no other planted variety could provide in a warm region, namely the acidity and a perfect alcohol balance. The Alfrocheiro variety entirely covers this large plot facing southwest, presenting rich but deep soils, with some compaction beyond 1m depth, which create a natural constraint of vigour to the plant. The natural acidity and the neutrality of its aromas coupled with the specificity of the plot make these grapes perfect for Ravasqueira’s sole, unique sparkling wine, produced in small quantities from a careful selection of clusters in each harvest.

The choice of grape variety for this vineyard, planted in 2002, was not consensual. Eventually, the Aragonez and white Chardonnay varieties were the ones planted, with the latter being done so at a later stage and grafted with the Alvarinho and Viognier castes. The Colos Vineyard, where the Alvarinho and Viognier grapes once again form a successful partnership, is a vineyard with the opposite characteristics of the Monte Vineyard. We can say that they are a mirror of each other, but not its reflection. Facing southeast, it benefits from the cold air that rests by the stream, as well as the shade cast over it in the late afternoon. The minerality and freshness are the main attributes of this Ravasqueira micro-terroir, perhaps derived from these eminently granitic soils.

In 2002, the passion for French white wines spoke louder and the French grape varieties Semillon and Marsanne, along with the very Portuguese Arinto, were introduced to Ravasqueira. We can say that the Penedo Gordo Vineyard is the antithesis of what is expected to be found on an estate with over 3000 hectares: a tiny block, covering just over a hectare, with three different grape varieties, Arinto, Semillon, and Marsanne. The soil is rich and fertile, but it is its proximity to the stream and location in a low zone surrounded by hills, that guard the acidity and freshness found in these grapes. The name Penedo Gordo is inspired by the enormous granite rock that was removed during the preparation of the plantation, which could not but be the greatest proof of relationship between the terroir and its expression in our wines.

The Taco Vineyard comes to fruition in 2002 and follows the more traditional Alentejo vineyard of the time: Trincadeira Aragonez and Cabernet Sauvignon. The latter would be replaced by the Syrah grape variety in 2010. In a hot climate such as the Alentejo’s, the Syrah variety has an almost ideal development, benefiting from the forest and large hill surrounding it at Ravasqueira, which confers it with very different development characteristics from the rest. Aligned along a north-south axis, with exposure mostly to the east, the morning light is balanced by the shadows cast at dusk. The soils of this vineyard are poor and demanding. Here, the Syrah usually has a more mature and intense aromatic profile, but also freshness, fruit of the conditions surrounding this plot.

In 2005, the most southern of the Monte da Ravasqueira vineyards is planted. Among the chosen grape varieties, Aragonez, Trincadeira, and Touriga Nacional, the unfamiliar Sangiovese and Nero d’Avola appear. The passion for Italian wines is at the genesis of the planting of these grape varieties. It is mostly planted in extremely poor soils that are well-drained, and with very rich granite outcrops. With a slope of almost 20 metres between the top and bottom of the block, there is a huge potential for different terroirs, that we try to make the most of every year. There are countless styles of grapes collected from the Touriga Nacional block every harvest, which together would make just one type of wine, but by zoning and separating, we can obtain grapes with a distinct and unique profile.