French-Portuguese winemaker Henrique Cizeron established the “Cinetica” brand in 2009 in an attempt to capture a sense of the continued action, heat and strength that has built the profile of Douro wines over the last centuries. He came late to wine but armed with a roving mind and thirst for travel, Henrique sought to experience as many harvests as possible in order to make up for lost time. Before long, he found himself oscillating between Portugal and New Zealand, getting to grips with the contrasting challenges of producing wine in hot and cool climates. Latterly, Henrique has turned his attention to the burgeoning Vinho Verde appellation – for so long a region dominated by poor, entry level co-operative bottlings, now experiencing something of a renaissance (or birth, perhaps!) when it comes to premium wines. In his own words, he says he is “surfing a wave, identifying great spots and experimenting with new winemaking techniques to make the best Vinho Verde wines possible.” His Loureiro Reserva 2020 represents his first vintage and comes from an old vineyard in the less well-known southern part of the Vinho Verde appellation, located just 12km from the Atlantic Ocean. In the Douro, he seeks to produce fine red wines that faithfully reflect their warm climate origins with a traditional feel and respect for their Pinhao Valley heritage. This he achieves with a modern eye for gentler extraction, limited use of new oak, and a style that, although bold, has a certain drinkability and finesse.