Torre de Frade Viognier 2023

About the wine
Viognier… the warmth-loving french grape transplanted to Portugal’s Alto-Alentejo region. Here, searing hot summer daytime temperatures are balanced by cool nights, creating a bright acidity that the winemaker harnesses further by picking the grapes by moonlight. This wine is floral and fresh, with a light oily texture characteristic of the grape. Think dried apricots, lemons, peaches and honeysuckle, with just a hint of oak from 6 months tucked up in french barrels. Gorgeous with seafood, meat and game, this is a gastronomic wine for all seasons.

About the maker
Nestled in the ancient plains of Monforte in the Alto Alentejo, the current farm at Torre de Frade sits on an old monastery dating from the 1300s. The estate is primarily concerned with farming cattle and grain, and wine is a small dynamic project led by the family's younger generations. Hot days, cool nights and brown shale soils give the wines a saline minerality and freshness, carefully preserved through hand-harvesting by moonlight. The winemaking approach respects the farm and the land, where sheep roam free to clear the weeds and naturally fertilize the vines. The winemaker favours a pied de cuve technique over commercial yeast - a winemaking equivalent of a sourdough starter. All this care and respect helps to create wines with big character that tell the story of the land they come from.