The Revolutionary Wines of the new Portugal: Luis Seabra

There’s a vinicultural revival going on across the sprawling Douro Valley. Younger winemakers are taking charge of their families’ estates or bringing their own independent projects to fruition. A new generation is making wine unlike the Portuguese table wine we’ve come to know, particularly in the Douro Valley, the oldest demarcated appellation in Western Europe. Eponymous with Port wine, the Douro Valley has been steadily been moving on from its reputation as a fortified wine appellation. The Salazar dictatorship had a heavy influence on the country’s wine industry, by monopolizing legislation that benefited co-opts over individual producers. This led to a drop in quality, until the 1980s, when Portugal joined the E.U. and small producers received subsidies and grants to improve their vineyards and winemaking facilities. Today, Portuguese winemaking is in its prime. The Douro Valley is ascending to new heights as an appellation, with subtle, savory and mineral-driven wines of pristine quality.

We are delighted to showcase three wines from an outstanding member of the new generation of Portuguese vignerons, Luis Seabra. Having spent a decade leading the wine program at Dirk Niepoort’s eminent estate in the Douro Valley, Luis brings a terroir-driven approach to his winemaking, with focus going to soil type (yellow schist – or, “xisto” – a high-acid, crystalline soil) and climate. Nestled in the hills of the subregion Cima Corgo, almost 2,000 feet above sea-level, Luis farms his vineyards with minimal intervention, respecting the mineral-filled soil above all else. His vines, co-planted red and white varieties (naturally) see a drastic temperature change from day to night, leading to an extended maturation on the vine.

These wines are spectacular examples of this new generation in Portugal. Luis Seabra is truly doing extraordinary viniculture in the Douro Valley, and is being recognized as a master of this new movement. It is delightful to see a winemaker with such devotion to this ancient land, producing wines of remarkable quality and transparency. Luis is a wonderful addition to the shelves at Chambers Street.

-John David Crosby