Alvaro Castro

VISIT IMPORTER'S WEBSITE
Country of Origin: Portugal
Location: Dão
People: Alvaro Castro, Owner & Winemaker
Viticulture: Practicing Organic

Items

Alvaro Castro 2019 'DAC' Tinto, Dao DOC Login In Stock
Alvaro Castro 2018 'Quinta de Saes' Tinto, Dao DOC Login W&S 93 In Stock
Alvaro Castro 2019 'Quinta de Saes' Tinto, Dao DOC Login In Stock



Media Links
Wines of Portugal: Álvaro Castro
Wineanorak.com: A review of one of Portugal's top winegrowers

Álvaro Castro is one of the leading producers in Portugal’s Dão region. He began life as a civil engineer, but when he inherited his property in 1980, he began to devote himself to the craft of making wine. Thirty years later, his wines express elegance, finesse, and terroir, while we works to keep alcohol levels under 13.5 percent, preferring a more subtle, balanced wine.

He collaborates with his daughter Maria in the winemaking process. He owns two Quintas: Saes where he lives and where the winery is located; Pellada on a hillside with expansive views and an old grand house he’s restoring, close to the rugged Serra d’Estrela National Park. His vineyards produce indigenous Portuguese grapes such as Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen, and Sercial.

Wine Advocate 8/30/2019
"This winery, one of Portugal's great estates, rarely disappoints. Even in 2014, at least at the upper level, there were many beauties. In the most recent vintages, I'm still deciding between 2015 and 2017. At least now, 2015 seems to win, but there are more 2017s to come that I have not seen. I'd probably rank 2016 third of the three, but there are certainly some super wines. It will be fun comparing as they all age—and they tend to age well. The winery emphasizes freshness."


Wine Advocate 8/31/2018
"This is one of Portugal's leading winemakers in a region that doesn't often register much in the USA—which is very sad. Fresh, balanced and Burgundian (at least the reds for that Burgundian part), Castro's wines age effortlessly, and they are distinctive."

Reviews

  • Alvaro Castro 2018 'Quinta de Saes' Tinto, Dao DOC
    Wine & Spirits
    Rating: 93 (2/1/2023)

    ...this is among the most straightforward wines they make, and it showed beautifully in 2018: An elegant red with lovely richness, its melodramatic funk in control, its fruit in blossom–red plum, violets and rose petals. Alvaro Castro and his daughter Maria grow Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen and Tinta Pinheira for this blend.