Castro Pelada Tinto Douro Naked Vine 2018

There’s something refreshingly honest about the wines of Alvaro Castro. While much of the wine world was busy chasing high scores and heavy oak in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Castro was tucked away in the Dão, quietly championing the elegant, acid-driven soul of his family’s 16th-century estate. The 2018 “Naked Vine” Tinto is a love letter to that restraint.

A field blend of roughly 40 indigenous varieties—led by Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, and Jaen—this is a red that prioritizes place over process. Grown in the granite and quartz-rich soils of the Serra da Estrela foothills, the fruit is handled with a remarkably light touch. Fermented with native yeasts and aged in neutral French oak, the “Naked” moniker isn’t just marketing; it’s a commitment to letting the Dão’s natural minerality speak for itself without the makeup of new wood.

In the glass, it’s a vibrant ruby with aromatics that feel alive: wild raspberry, crushed violets, and a cooling, flinty edge that reminds us why this region is often called the Burgundy of Portugal. The palate is medium-bodied and exceptionally nimble, offering a core of sour cherry and forest floor framed by fine, graphite-like tannins.