Beyra Tinto

Beyra comes from Beira Interior, a vast, disparate stretch of inland Portugal that sits south of the Douro and east of Dão, up against the Spanish border. This is high, hard country. The vines grow at around 700 meters near the small village of Vermiosa, among the highest plantings in Portugal, on granite and schist soils laced with quartz veins. The altitude brings plenty of sunshine but cool temperatures and dramatic swings between daytime highs and nighttime lows, and that tension is what gives the wine its freshness and lift. The label belongs to winemaker Rui Roboredo Madeira, whose family roots run deep in the region. He launched the Beyra project in 2011 under the banner "among the highest vineyards of Portugal," returning to the same winery where he had worked his first harvest back in 1987, and pioneering the idea of altitude wines that has since become the calling card of the area. The blend draws on native grapes, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, and Jaen, from dry-farmed old vines, fermented in cement without new oak. Expect crunchy berry fruit and spice, an elegant, discreet minerality, bright acidity, and a finish that leans on flavor rather than tannin.