Folias De Baco

(Douro, Portugal)

Tiago Sampaio is the innovative young winemaker of Folias de Baco, a project started in 2007 that one could say was spearheaded in his childhood piggybacking on his grandfather through the farms and vineyards, always curious and plucky, willing to experiment at every step of the way. It was this incurable fascination that led him into agricultural studies at Santo Tirso and then five years of university in Vila Real, but it wasn’t until completing an agricultural engineering course that opened the doorway for his PhD studies in Oregon for Viticulture and Enology. It was here that Tiago picked up on modern philosophies and aesthetics of winemaking, while never forgetting his roots in the Douro and returning to create his estate that has garnered much attention since. Specifically located in the Alto Douro, in the sub-region of Cima-Corgo – where the land is rough, tough and challenging – you will find his vines clinging to the slopes of schist and granite at an altitude between 500-700m. Tiago is essentially bridging the traditions of his homeland with learned modern aesthetics, creating field blends of both red, white and mixed from indigenous varietals planted some 80 years ago, while carefully attending to his new fixation of Pinot Noir vines that he makes both red and rosé. Tiago has set his sights higher, pushing the boundaries of his curiosity and what some might not expect out of such a traditional region. 

www.foliasdebaco.com/

Practicing Organic

‘UIVO’ PT NAT Rose

100% Pinot Noir

From 2 hectares of 18 year old vines planted on schist and granite soils, the grapes are hand-harvested in September, undergo vineyard sorting and whole cluster pressing with no time on skins. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel (10000L) with wild yeasts for roughly three weeks under temperature control. Bottled after first fermentation. Disgorged February 2020; no dosage. Not fined or filtered.

‘UIVO’ PT NAT Branco

25% Arinto, 25% Bical, 25% Rabigato, 15% Moscatel Galego, 10% Alvarinho

From 2 hectares of 10-35 year old vines planted on schist and granite soils, the grapes are hand-harvested at the beginning of September, undergo vineyard sorting and whole cluster pressing with no time on skins. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel (6500L) with wild yeasts for roughly four weeks with temperature control. Bottled after first fermentation. Disgorged January 2021; no dosage. Not fined or filtered.

‘UIVO’ PT NAT Renegado

From 80+ year old vines planted to a blend of schist and granite soils. Hand harvested in early September with extensive vineyard sorting and four weeks maceration time. Fermentation in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts and bottled in October 2020. Not fined or filtered.

‘UIVO’ PT NAT Curtido

100% Moscatel Galego

From vines planted to a blend of schist and granite soils. Hand harvested in early September with extensive vineyard sorting and two weeks maceration time. Fermentation in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts and bottled in October 2020. Not fined or filtered.

Vinho Branco, ‘UIVO Moscatel Galego’

100% Moscatel Galego

From 1.5ha of 35 year old vines planted to a blend of schist and granite soils. Hand harvested in early September with extensive vineyard sorting, whole cluster pressing with no time on skins. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel (5000L) using ambient yeasts that lasts for approximately seven weeks under temperature control. The wine spends approximately four months on lees, with stirring once a month, and aged in stainless steel for four months. Not fined or filtered.

Vinho Branco, ‘UIVO Curtido’

100% Moscatel Galego

From +35 year old vines planted to 2 hectares of schist and granite soil blend. Hand-harvested in September, undergoes vigorous vineyard sorting, partially de-stemmed but not pressed and allowed to macerate for four months. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in cement tanks (5000L) with ambient yeasts and lasts roughly three weeks under temperature control. The wine spends approximately two months on the lees after pressing with no stirring. Aged in cement tanks for six months; not fined or filtered.

Vinho Branco, ‘UIVO Anfora’

100% Donzelinho & Samarrinho

From estate parcels of two nearly extinct varietals sitting at an altitude of 650m, planted to schist and granitic soils, the grapes are picked in early September. partially de-stemmed and allowed to macerate in clay amphora (1200L) for 11 months. The amphoras are lined with beeswax and pressed at the end of July (2018). Unfined and unfiltered.

Vinho Verde, ‘UIVO Loureiro'

100% Loureiro

The grapes were crushed by foot, trodden and remained with stesms and skins in a lagar for four days. Spontaneous fermentation then begins in stainless steel tanks and then moved to cement eggs with fine lees where it rests for six months.

Vinho Branco, ‘UIVO Rabigato’

100% Rabigato

From .5ha of 20 year old vines planted to a blend of schist and granite soils. Hand harvested in early September with extensive vineyard sorting, whole cluster pressing with no time on skins. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in stainless steel (2000L) using ambient yeasts that lasts for approximately seven weeks under temperature control. The wine spends approximately four months on lees, with stirring once a month, and aged in stainless steel (2000L) for four months. Not fined or filtered.

Vinho Tinto, ‘UIVO Renegado"

From +80 year old vines planted on 2 hectares of schist and granite. The more than 25 red and white varietals are hand harvested separately in September and undergo vineyard sorting. The whole clusters macerate for three days, followed by spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts lasting roughly three weeks in large granite lagars (1000L). The wine spends six months on lees with stirring once every two weeks only at the beginning of aging. Aged for six months in 2-3 year old chestnut oak (225L)(5%) and the rest in cement. Not fined or filtered.

Vinhas Velhas Reserva ‘UIVO Vinho Branco’

From 4 hectares of 80 year old vines composed of around 15 varietals but mainly Viosinho, Rabigato and Gouveio. Hand harvested in early September, undergoes vineyard sorting with no de-stemming, followed by spontaneous fermentation in barrel with ambient yeasts for approximately three weeks under temperature control. The wine spends one year on lees with stirring taking place only in the beginning once every two weeks. Aged in French chestnut oak (2-10 years old; 225L, 300L and 500L) for one year. Not fined or filtered.  

Vinhas Velhas Reserva, ‘UIVO Tinto’

From 80 year old vines planted on 4 hectares of schist and granite soils and composed of up to 20+ indigenous varieties. Hand-harvested between September and October with rigorous vineyard sorting, partially de-stemmed, with maceration between five days and three months in different vessels before spontaneous fermentation taking place in granite lagar (1000L), with ambient yeasts that last s for approximately three weeks and no temperature control. Aged in French chestnut oak (2-8 years old; 225L) for three months. Not fined or filtered. 

 

PIQUETTE, UIVO ‘AQUA NAT’