Style:

A fresh and approachable Douro white, focused on balance, drinkability, and purity of fruit. Light, vibrant, and elegant.

Vineyard:

Located in the Douro Valley, sourced from vineyards planted on schist (“xisto”) soils. A mix of altitudes and exposures helps preserve acidity while ensuring ripeness and balance.

Winery:

Hand-harvested grapes, whole-bunch pressed and fermented with native yeasts. Aged mainly in stainless steel and neutral oak, preserving freshness and varietal character.

Nose/Palate:

Citrus, green apple, floral notes, and light mineral hints on the nose, followed by a light to medium-bodied palate with bright acidity, a clean fresh profile, citrus and orchard fruit flavors, and a crisp, elegant, refreshing finish.

Cima Corgo is the central and most diverse subregion of the Douro, stretching around the Pinhão Valley and forming the heartland of many of the region’s most renowned vineyards. Its landscape is defined by steep schist slopes, narrow valleys and significant differences in altitude and exposure.

The climate is warm and dry, but the combination of elevation, north-facing slopes and proximity to the valleys creates important variations in ripening. Lower and more exposed sites can produce powerful, concentrated wines, while higher vineyards retain greater acidity, freshness and aromatic precision.

Cima Corgo is particularly important for Port production, but it is equally capable of producing distinctive dry wines. Traditional varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão thrive here, while white grapes including Rabigato, Viosinho, Gouveio and Códega can produce remarkably fresh and mineral wines at altitude.

The region’s mica-rich schist soils are central to its identity. These poor, well-drained soils naturally limit yields and encourage deep-rooted vines, contributing concentration while the altitude helps preserve freshness.

Cima Corgo captures the Douro’s balance between power and precision — steep schist vineyards, warm Mediterranean conditions and altitude creating wines with depth, structure, mineral character and remarkable freshness.

These four traditional white varieties are among the key grapes of the Douro, particularly important for producing dry white wines with freshness, texture and mineral character. Each contributes a different element to the final blend.

Rabigato provides the backbone: high acidity, citrus, green apple and a distinctive stony, saline character. It brings tension and freshness, making it particularly valuable in the warm Douro climate.

Gouveio adds aromatic lift and structure, with lemon, pear, white flowers and subtle herbal notes. It combines good acidity with a slightly broader texture, helping to give the wine balance and depth.

Códega do Larinho contributes softer fruit and aromatic expression, typically showing citrus, white flowers and ripe orchard fruit. It helps round the blend without making it heavy.

Viosinho is valued for its natural acidity, perfume and concentration. It brings citrus blossom, stone fruit and a more textured palate, adding both aromatic complexity and structure.

Together, the varieties create a style that balances freshness, minerality, texture and aromatic depth — particularly well suited to high-altitude Douro vineyards, where cooler conditions help preserve acidity and precision.

The combination is a classic expression of modern dry Douro white wine: mineral and energetic, yet textured and sufficiently rich to show the depth of the region’s schist terroir.

The 2024 vintage in Cima Corgo was marked by a more moderate growing season than several recent hot years, with good rainfall reserves, gradual ripening and cooler nights. White grapes were harvested at a more traditional pace, allowing varieties such as Viosinho, Gouveio and Rabigato to retain excellent acidity while developing good aromatic maturity.

The resulting whites are showing fresh citrus, white fruit and floral aromas, with vibrant acidity, mineral precision and good concentration. The combination of Cima Corgo’s schist and granite sites, together with altitude, gives the wines freshness and texture rather than excessive richness.

Compared with hotter vintages, 2024 places greater emphasis on balance, freshness and aromatic precision, making it particularly interesting for dry white Douro wines.

A fresh and harmonious Cima Corgo vintage, with excellent acidity, mineral character and the natural depth of traditional Douro white varieties.