January Alterita 3 / Sandy 2023

Just northeast of the university city of Coimbra lies Oliveira do Conde, a small village with a rich history, featuring ancient relics from Celtic and Roman times. It's a strategic location situated between the Mondego and Dão rivers, a place known for its agricultural prosperity. When you're here, you could easily imagine yourself in Volnay or Vosne-Romanée.

Domínio do Açor, named after the Serra do Açor, is an ancient winery with a relatively large number of old vines spread across its 11 hectares of vineyards, now taken over by Guilherme Correa. Guilherme, a Brazilian, was Brazil's best sommelier between 2006 and 2009. He then moved to Portugal, where he established a wine import company (Temple Wines), importing top European producers to Portugal. When he came across the opportunity to buy the Açor vineyards, his vision became instantly clear: to make the finest Dão wines without sparing any expense or effort, in a modern style with a focus on elegance, minerality, and drinkability.

The Serra do Açor is located in the south of the Dão region, between 200 and 300 meters above sea level. While not in the most extreme conditions, it boasts a microclimate selected for its soil potential and weather conditions that allow for single-varietal wines from local grapes. Guilherme enlisted the help of Pedro Parra, considered one of the best soil analysts and consultants in the world. Pedro analyzed all of Açor's vineyards to determine which grapes perform best where and what the best plots are (which, according to him, could be called "Grand Cru"). The two winemakers are Luís Lopes and João Costa, both of whom have a wealth of experience at wineries inside and outside Portugal.

The working method is extremely clean, with minimal intervention in the vineyard using organic and biodynamic practices, indigenous yeasts, and minimal sulfite addition. The work in the cellar is exceptionally precise, bringing together Portuguese traditions with the highest achievable standards of international cellars. Notably, Açor has a very impressive selection of barrels from the best coopers (Atelier Centre France, Dussiaux, Stockinger, François Frères, Damy, Tremeaux, Ermitage, Taransaud, Garbellotto…), with a particular focus on larger barrels that do not excessively influence the wine's flavor.

There is a clear stylistic nod to Burgundy, as well as other great wines of Europe; Guilherme aims to compete with the best in the world.