ONTEM! A wine you won't forget! A natural wine from Conceito.

Ontem (“Yesterday” in Portuguese) is the new project of Rita Marques Ferreira, from Conceito Vinhos in the upper Douro Valley. The name says it all, because this wine - a natural wine - is a living memory of an almost forgotten past.

Taste the taste of yesterday today: The Ontem Tinto 2016 is a soft wine with a lot of volume and a nice tension, but not as angular and heavy as many other red Douro wines. No trace of the otherwise widespread vanilla-wood note. But full aromas of black and red berries, some pepper and slightly animalic notes.

Beautiful garnet color with many violet tones to reveal its youth. The nose smells of forest fruits, typical of 2016 in this part of the country, but reserved and subtle. Dry garrigue and spices increase the complexity, as do the discreet tones. The lightness and brightness of the mouth shines with lively acidity, a flexible and muscular body, lots of depth, structure and texture that tell us of its origins in very old vines. Great balance in a wine, generous and reserved, offering enjoyment and opulence, but also restraint and elegance. Very long and fresh finish.

It is a natural wine and you can tell just as soon as you drink it how pure it really is. You won't notice the 13.5% and you could drink a bottle without any problems. But it's even more fun as an accompaniment to a nice feast.

Ideal with roast goose or all dishes with autumnal notes, such as mushroom dishes.

The Ontem Tinto 2016 is made from a blend of native grape varieties grown in a rare combination on very old vines in a vineyard with slate soils on the border between Douro and Dão. In terms of taste, the Ontem Tinto 2016 also bridges the gap between the two regions: a wine has been created from typical Douro grape varieties such as Rufete, Baga, João de Santarém, Touriga Franca, Bastardo and Tinta Roriz that has the typical elegance of a classic Dão wine carries itself.

The cultivation of the vineyard had been abandoned some time ago and was almost forgotten until Rita and her allies decided to revive it. The challenge now was to give this special and rare terroir a second chance. With the help of the support of the local population - especially old people - who participated in the entire vinification process, it was possible to conjure up a wine of excellent quality, characterized by a very limited quantity: only 3,000 bottles were produced . We got 120!

Rita also received further support for this ambitious project from Manuel Sapage, an oenologist from the Douro, and from Luís Antunes, her husband - professor at the University of Lisbon, writer and wine journalist.

• Data sheet EN pdf