Alvaro Castro 'DAC' Tinto, Dao, Portugal

Earthy, savory and quietly polished, 2022 Álvaro Castro 'DAC' Tinto captures the freshness and mineral character that distinguish the high-elevation reds of the Dão. Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz provide the wine's dark fruit and structure, while Jaen and Alfrocheiro contribute perfume, spice and lift. Crushed herbs and black pepper frame smoky black fruit on a medium-bodied palate, with supple tannins and an underlying stony character keeping the wine energetic. Extended aging in seasoned French oak adds refinement without masking the fruit, resulting in a red that favors balance, texture and savory complexity over weight.

Product Details:

• Proprietor & Winemaker: Álvaro de Castro
• Winemaker: Maria de Castro
• Grape Varieties: 30% Touriga Nacional, 30% Tinta Roriz, 20% Jaen and 20% Alfrocheiro
• Vineyard: Estate-grown vines planted in 1988
• Elevation: Approximately 550 meters
• Soils: Granite, clay, and sand
• Viticulture: Practicing Biodynamic
• Harvest: Manual harvest in mid to late September
• Fermentation: Stainless steel vats
• Maceration: 15 days
• Aging: 12 to 18 months in used two- to three-year-old French oak
• Filtration: Filtered before bottling
• Bottling: June or July following maturation
• Alcohol: 13%
• Closure: Cork

Sensory Description:

Dark ruby in color, with aromas of crushed herbs and black pepper opening into concentrated black fruit, ripe cherry, and plum. Smoky and earthy nuances deepen the fruit while maintaining the wine's distinctly savory profile. The palate is medium-bodied and silky, with supple tannins providing structure without heaviness. Peppery spice and herbal tones continue through the mid-palate, joined by a mineral quality that brings freshness and definition. The finish is long and composed, leaving dark fruit, earth and spice in balance.

Winemaker's Background:

Quinta da Pellada is the family estate of Álvaro de Castro, one of the defining producers of the modern Dão. Álvaro inherited the property in 1980 and developed its contemporary winemaking identity around the region's indigenous varieties, high-elevation vineyards and granite-influenced soils. His daughter Maria de Castro later joined him in the winery, continuing a family approach that favors vineyard expression, restrained extraction and careful use of oak over sheer concentration. Their vineyards are cultivated with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture and include parcels farmed according to organic and Biodynamic principles. Rather than relying on a narrow range of grapes, the estate embraces the diversity historically associated with the Dão, using varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Jaen and Alfrocheiro to build wines around perfume, freshness and mineral structure. DAC Tinto offers an accessible expression of that philosophy, combining estate-grown fruit with a deliberately understated approach in the cellar.

Serving Suggestions:

The wine's silky tannins, dark fruit and savory herbal character make it particularly versatile with cured ham, charcuterie and smoked meats. It also pairs well with garlic-roasted chicken, pizza, veal, pork and roasted turkey, while firm cheeses such as Manchego or Parmesan complement its earthy, peppery profile.