Vinilourenço is a family winery that is located in the stunning heart of the Douro Superior wine region in Northeastern Portugal. The winery is based around vineyards that were originally planted by Horácio Lourenço, the father of the current winemaker Jorge Lourenço. Jorge, who assumed responsibility for the winery when he was 18 years old, has spent his life developing and growing the winery from the 25 hectares (61 acres) that were originally planted by his father to over 45 hectares (111 acres) upon which his vineyards are currently planted. These vineyards occupy the space along the banks of the river Douro and its tributaries in visually striking terraced vineyards that were first dug out from the steep granite hillsides by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, some of which still rely on the same engineering and infrastructure that those early Roman settlers built. The winery’s position in the Douro Superior subregion on the eastern edge of the appellation means that its vineyards occupy a higher elevation than many other Douro valley vineyards, ranging in elevation from 550 ft to 2200 ft above sea level. This higher elevation position combined with the unique granite and schist soil that exists in the transition between the river valley and high plateaus of this mountainous region contributes to wines with exceptional structure, balanced acidity, and concentration.
One of the defining characteristics of Vinilourenço, especially under the direction of Jorge Lourenço has been the extent to which they have invested in the research, planting, and preservation of indigenous Portuguese grape varieties that were historically common to their region of the Douro. The Douro Valley has a long and storied history of wine production, not least of which is having the distinction of being the world’s oldest formal wine appellation which was established in 1756. That being said, given the familial nature of most viticultural production in the region combined with the small and fragmented nature of the vineyard plots and terraces, the vast majority of wine produced in the Douro has consisted of field blends containing numerous different varieties of grapes. This, in turn, meant that the historical diversity of grapes that existed in the region was profound, with each family growing potentially dozens of varieties within their own small terraced plots along the river banks. Over time, many of those varieties have dwindled in their popularity as larger commercial models of vineyards have emerged. In order to prevent the loss of some of these less commonly known Douro grapes of incredible winemaking potential, Jorge Lourenço has made a point of seeking out, researching, and planting these grapes in his vineyards and utilizing them both in the traditional blends of the region but also in carefully-crafted monovarietal expressions that are designed to give broader exposure to the beauty of these lesser-known Portuguese grapes. While employing modern research technology and equipment in this mission of patrimonial preservation, he also utilizes the traditional granite vats, or lagares for pressing and fermentation of his blends, further illustrating the careful line that Jorge Lourenço walks between tradition and innovation.
Vinilourenço is a winery that is based on the passions of the two generations that have worked to establish it in this farthest mountain region within the Douro DOC. A desire to build a winery that exists in true conversation with the land and the traditions that have long formed a central part of this area, while at the same time being comfortable with innovation have led the Lourenço family to build a winery that is deeply rooted in the past and armed with an eye fixed on the future.
