Quinta do Centro and Sonho Lusitano Vinhos

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English wine writer Richard Mayson has been specialising in Portuguese wines for over twenty years and is the author of five books on the subject. As early as 1989, he identified the Portalegre sub-region of the Alentejo as potentially one of the leading wine regions in Portugal due to its altitude, soils and climate.Rui Reguinga, who hails from the Ribatejo, began his wine making career in 1991 working at the local co-operative in Portalegre. He subsequently went to work with well-known wine maker João Portugal Ramos before establishing his own wine consultancy business. He now advises a number of leading properties, mostly in the southern half of Portugal and is also involved in making wine in Argentina. After a ten year search for the right property, in 2005 Richard Mayson bought Quinta do Centro and formed a wine making company, Sonho Lusitano (‘Lusitanian Dream’) with Rui Reguinga.
 

The Estate

Quinta do Centro is located at Reguengo on the slopes Serra de São Mamede at 500 – 560 metres above sea level. Within 5km of the property the serra rises to over 1,000 metres above sea level, making this the highest point in southern Portugal. To use a Portuguese phrase, Quinta do Centro is on the meia encosta, (‘half-way up the slope’), where it is considered that the best wines are generally produced. The property lies on the edge of the São Mamede Natural Park. The Portalegre sub-region (a DOC in its own right) is quite different form the rest of the Alentejo with a terroir all of its own. The soils are schist and granite, with granite predominating at Quinta do Centro. The property spans a shallow valley and the soils are poor, full of rock and generally well drained. Annual average rainfall, which is below 400mm in much of the Alentejo, is in excess of 600mm in Portalegre. 

Adega - Quinta do Centro II

Unlike most of southern Portugal, land holdings in the Portalegre region are extremely fragmented, especially on the serra which has more in common with the north than the south. Quinta do Centro is fairly unusual in that it extends to just over 20 hectares of which 12.5 ha are planted with vines. Just under 10 ha are currently in production, with the oldest vineyard planted approximately 25 years ago. A further 2.7ha were replanted in 2006. The remainder of the property is semi-wild and given over to olive trees and cork oaks. There is also a small dam for irrigation. The principal grape varieties (in descending order of importance) are Trincadeira, Aragonez Alicante Bouschet and Grand Noir with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2007 we planted Touriga Nacional, Syrah and a small quantity of Viognier. A new winery was built on the property and used for the first time in 2007. There are also five houses in the property, four of which will eventually be restored for wine-related tourism.

The Wines

Our aim is to produce three different premium red wines, each from a blend of grape varieties, reflecting the terroir of the region. The emphasis will be on producing wines with balance, finesse and poise as opposed to the tendency to make big, blockbuster wines elsewhere the Alentejo. By 2011 when the vineyard is in full production it is envisaged that the property will be producing the equivalent of 42,000 litres a year apportioned between three red wines as follows:

  •  Pedra Basta (meaning ‘enough stone’) with production rising to 26,500 bottles retailing c. €10 a bottle. (Vinho Regional Alentejano)
     
  •  Pedra e Alma (meaning ‘stone and soul’) approx 20,000 bottles pa retailing at c. €20. 
     
  • Prestige Blend (produced only in the best years) max. 2,000 bottles say three times a decade retailing at € 40  

Sonho Lusitano - Fabrice Deroulin 057

Pedra e Alma and the prestige blend (yet to be named) will only be produced when we have sufficient wine with sufficient quality. The priority markets for all three wines are UK, USA and Portugal. Building and projecting the right image will be crucial to the success of our project and, while maintaining its roots in the Alto Alentejo, an international approach is necessary to put our wines and the Portalegre region on the map.

 

 

 

For day-to-day information on the running of the estate see Richard Mayson's wine blog 'Living the Dream' on www.richardmayson.com

 

 

 

 

UNITED KINGDOM

Sonho Lusitano Vinhos Lda. is represented in the UK by Richard’s Walford, Hales Lodge, Pickworth, Near Stamford, Lincs PE9 4DJ Tel. 01780 460451 Contact: Karen Jenkins Karen.Jenkins@r-w.co.uk

 Pedra Basta 2007 is available in the UK from the following sources:
 

SOUTH

  • The Wine Society, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2BG  01438 740222 www.thewinesociety.com
  • Vinoteca, 7, St John Street, London EC1 www.vinoteca.co.uk 
  • Butler’s Wine Cellar, 247 Queens Park Road, Brighton BN2 9XJ www.butlers-winecellar.co.uk 
  • Raffles Wine Company, The Old Fire Station, Old Market, Nalisworth, Glos. 
  • Sommelier Wine Company,  23 St Georges Esplanade, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2BG  
  • Summertown Wine Café, 38, South Parade, Oxford, OX2 7JN 
  • The Dorset Wine Company, 37 Peverell Av. West, Poundbury, Dorchester DT1 3SU www.dorsetwine.co.uk
  • Philip Eyres Wine Merchant, Barracks Hill, Amersham, Bucks HP7 OLW

     

MIDLANDS

  • Delilah Fine Foods, 15, Middle Pavement, Nottingham NG1 7DX www.delilahfoods.co.uk
  • H Smith's 16-18 Compton Street, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 1DA
  •  Worth Bros Wine Merchants, The Cellars, Cathedral House, 5, Beacon Street, Lichfield, Staffs. www.worthbrothers.co.uk

     

NORTH

RESTAURANTS

  • The Fat Duck, High Street, Bray, Berks. SL6 2AQ www.thefatduck.co.uk
  • Fischer's Baslow Hall, Baslow, Derbyshire
  • Vinoteca Ltd, 7, St John Street, London EC1
  • Summertown Wine Café, 38 South Parade, Oxford 

PORTUGAL

In Portugal Pedra Basta is distributed by Vinicom (www.vincom.pt) Vinicom : Centro Empresarial Sintra/Estoril II Edifício B Estrada de Albarraque 2710-335 Tel. 219 104 650 Fax 219 244 222 geral@vinicom.pt

Pedra Basta 2006/7 is available in Portugal from the following:

SOUTH (Algarve and Alentejo)

  • Drinksgave, Albufeira
  • Garrafeira Rui, Almancil
  • Apolinia Supermercados, Almancil
  • Boa Boca Gourmet, Évora
  • Supermercados / Garrefeira Rui, Faro
  • Garrafeira Grandola, Grandola
  • Supermercado Baptista, Praia da Luz
  • SuperNisa - Sepermadcados, Nisa
  • Garrafeira Veneza, Paderne
  • DrinkPor, Portalegre
  • Caldeirão de Sabores, Portalegre
  • Ma-jo, Portalegre
  • Garrafeira Vital, Tavira
  • Garrafeira Cobeal, Vila Real de Santo António 

     

CENTRE / LISBON

  • Garrafeira Adivinho, Lisboa
  • Garrafeira de Almada, Almada
  • Casinha do António, Setúbal
  • Coisas do Arco de Vinho, Belém (Lisboa)
  • Delidelux, Lisboa
  • Garrafeira Napoleão, Lisboa
  • Garrafeira Venha a Vinha, Lisboa
  • Vino Divino, Lisboa
  • Wine and Flavours, Lisboa

NORTH / OPORTO

  • Copo d'Uva, São João de Madeira
  • Garrafeira Tio Pepe, Porto
  • Garrafeira D.Vinho, Coimbra

     

RESTAURANTS

  • Restuarante Cascata, Alferrarde (Abrantes) 
  • Café - Restaurante Regata, Alpalhão
  • Restaurante Pompilo, São Vicente (Elvas)
  • Tasquinha do Oliveira, Évora
  • Delidelux, Lisboa
  • Bica do Sapato, Lisboa
  • Solar de Presuntos, Lisboa
  • Wine Bar do Castelo, Lisboa
  • Restaurante Sever, Marvão
  • Restaurante Jardim, Ponte de Sôr
  • Solar do Forcado, Portalegre
  • Tomba Lobos, Pedra Basta (Portalegre)
  • Restaurante Deolina, Santiago de Cacém
  • Bar do Binho, Sintra
  • Restaurante Quinta de Beloura, Quinta de Beloura (Sintra)
  • Restaurante O Prego de Prego e Rato, Vendas Novas
  • Restaurante Xuinhashop, Oeiras

SWITZERLAND 

Sonho Lusitano Vinhos is imported to Switzerland by Vinoversum (www.vinoversum.ch) 

 

Vinoversum A. Gatti AG, Tösswiesenstrasse 8, CH-8413 Neftenbach
 
Tel.: +41 (0)52 213 00 20, Fax: +41 (0)52 213 00 40
 
skype: vinoversum
 

  

PEDRA BASTA in the UK press…

‘…red, dark, rich and intense with dense, stony tannins, real mountain wine.’

Charles Metcalfe in The Wine and Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal

 

Pedra Basta 2007

Dark, dense, full-bodied, with ripe, spicy, red-berry and blackcurrant fruit and touches of licorice, chocolate and vanilla; fine chewy tannins. A red with southern Portuguese flavours, but Douro polish, from an estate – Quinta do Centro – belonging to UK wine writer Richard Mayson. You can drink it now, but it should be good for another four years. 13.5% abv. 

Joanna Simon, www.joannasimon.com

Fellow wine scribe Richard Mayson has bought Quinta do Centro, a vineyard in the cooler hills of the Alentejo. There he produuces elegant ripe fruit without high sugar levels, enabling to control the alcohol. 2007 Pedra Basta is his best vintage yet. .... It's soaked in fruits of the forest, with fine-grained tannins and earthiness - decant it to appreciate it fully.

Amelia Pinsent, Country Life

Less “loud” than the 2006 and I prefer it.  There’s a little less Cabernet and the 07 shows more red fruits supported by firm but ripe tannins.  More elegance and persistence than its predecessor  – it seems better to capture Portalegre’s potential for this mid-weight style and no doubt also reflects a cooler growing season.

Sarah Ahmed, The Wine Detective

Delicious, ripe, full-flavoured red from the Alentejo, from the excellent 2007 vintage, from UK wine wruter and specialist Richard Mayson. Drink now - 2012.

The Wine Society

 

Pedra Basta 2006

'Trade up to this confident, individual red from Portugal, currently one of the best places to find interesting wines. This is a ripe, full-flavoured, grown-up red; the wine's complexity comes from a blend of four mostly local grape varieties. It has a convincing pedigree, made by top winemaker Rui Reguinga and Richard Mayson, the UK's leading wine writer on Portugal's wines.'BBC Good Food Magazine - Nov 08
Sarah Jane Evans MW, among her best buys for Christmas.


'…fragrant, floral with aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry leaf and a touch of leather. Very fine tannins…more poise and tension [than the 2005]. I would give this another year in bottle. Drink 2010 – 2015'

Neal Martin’s Wine Journal on Erobertparker.com


‘Dark blackberry fruit on the nose, plus a bit of plummy spiciness. The palate is dense with some firm, savoury, spicy structure underneath the sweet blackberry and plum fruit’.

Jamie Goode’s Wine Blog


‘A gorgeous rich, supple red from the hills of the eastern Alentejo…’

The Wine Society

This has calmed down since I last tasted it when it was all exuberant, glossy fruit.  It’s now less bouncy, more “winey”, with juicy damsons and the Cabernet Sauvignon really coming through with blackcurrant to nose and palate.  Slightly chewy tannins have mellowed and become better integrated with the fruit too.  Good.

Sarah Ahmed, The Wine Detective   

Pedra Basta 2005

‘Broad, full, sunny flavours that speak eloquently of the warmth of the Alentejo are followed by the grip imposed by the local land’.

Jancis Robinson MW

…an impressive Alentejo from English wine writer, Richard Mayson along with winemaker Rui Reguinga. It has a warm, open-knit nose of summer fruits, raisin and dates with good definition. The palate is full-bodied, plump and quite ravishing in texture…

Neal Martin’s Wine Journal on Erobertparker.com


‘…full of deep, rich savoury flavours, rounded and long – a real food wine with character and style’

Christine Austin, Yorkshire Post


‘Fresh herbal, even a little cedary on the nose. Both elegant and juicy. A light had in the winemaking. Charming, discreet tannins. Drink 2008 – 10’ 16.5 / 20

Julia Harding MW at jancisrobinson.com


‘Peppery, damsony, chewy port-like intense palate – intriguing four grape Portuguese blend by Englishman Richard Mayson’

Rose Murray Brown MW, The Scotsman


‘Spot on…plush, smokey, seductive red, with cherry and raisin fruit backed up by fine grained tannins.’

Simon Woods, Wine & Spirit

 ‘From the hills of the eastern Alentejo, this is ripe and satisfying, full the of natural, rich, savoury flavours of Portugal’s indigenous grapes.’

The Wine Society