Description
Cortes de Cima is located on the slopes of the 400 m high mountains of Serra do Mendro. The great diversity of terroirs in our vineyards ranges from brown Mediterranean clay over limestone, mica schist, quartz-rich granite and well-graded gravel.
The oldest vines, around the house and the winery, were planted in 1991. The names of the wines originate from these vineyard plots – “Cortes de Cima”, “Chaminé de Gião” and “Courela dos Pageis”.
The meaning of Cortes de Cima: Fenced open area or closed covered enclosure where cattle are collected, on top of a hill.
When choosing our varieties as well as our trellis system, we chose to follow the “Vinho Regional” regulations, which are less restrictive than the “DOC” rules.
In 1991, Syrah was not allowed under either regulation, but Hans planted it anyway, convinced that we had an ideal climate and soil type for the famous Rhone grape variety. Our first “breaking the rules” vintage of Syrah, in 1998, was bottled as «Incógnito», and quickly achieved praise and notoriety in Portugal, and medals representing awards won in London, Brussels and Bordeaux.