From our Importer: The vaulted cliffs of the Duoro-Cima Corgo have nothing in common with the vast flat plains that inspired the pioneering dreams of westward expansion. The distanced traveled here is measured vertically, curvilinear instead of a straight line forward. The horizon is close and sky-high, daunting in very different way. Yet here, where parallel is hard to come by, there is an equal draw for unrealized potential.

On the granite edge of the Távora River, just off the Duoro, GCS was introduced to a different kind of pioneer, Pedro Coelho; a man not intimidated by the change in elevations and less so by the efforts it takes to find his own way. His interpretation of pioneer we found to be compelling. Locked in a land of tradition, he is not looking so much to escape his place, as much as to free the wines from the long-held local trappings. By recognizing what he does not like (the high-alcohol, power and extraction of past days) he seeks freshness, elegance, purity and personality. He does not need to leave home to find this, but his journey requires old-vine with the naturally-balanced raw materials for his exploration. Pedro is all about old vine plots. These are not easy to come by. It takes charm (what Pedro has in excess) to negotiate with old farmers selling (everything overcropped) to the Port houses. And the vines are rarely contiguous, each trip between means an exhaustive fall and climb just to cover, as the crow flies, a few kilometers. Add to his comfort hard, un-forgiving granite, frozen in the wind and remarkably hot in the summer. He has not chosen an easy road.

In short, it takes a sincere “can-do” attitude and the internal drive to go it alone. Pedro seems right at home with this. He is a uniquely solo, cliff-dwelling “garagiste“. We were pleased with the results, all his efforts woven with precision and clarity. Each of his investigations have found something remarkable.

Hats off to our partner, JD Selections, who found him only a few years into Pormenor. We are lucky for the introduction. He will be someone to watch as the old-Duoro is left behind.

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