Justerini & Brooks is delighted to introduce a brand-new project in the form of Textura Wines. Never before seen in the UK and only producing wine since 2018, Textura is by all accounts one of Portugal’s most exciting young projects. Situated in the mountainous Dao region south of the Douro Valley, owner Marcelo Araujo has assembled an impressive 22 hectares of traditional field-blended vineyards split between the high Serra da Estrela subzone; the source of fresher, more delicate wines, and Castendo; a more fertile subzone yielding sumptuous, aromatic fruits. Granitic soils predominate in the region with elevations rising to 620m, ensuring wide day-night swings and a long ripening period, perfect for retaining crisp acidities and tannins across a wide range of cultivars. The estate focuses entirely on native varieties, and blends thereof, such as: Encruzado, Bical, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Cerceal Branco, Jaen, Tinto Roriz, Alfrochiero, Bastardo and Touriga Nacional – all of which are fermented spontaneously with a low intervention philosophy. Since 2020 all the vineyards are in the process of full organic conversion as part of a wider sustainability ambition.
The talented Mariana Salvador is in charge of the winemaking with the support of rockstar Portuguese consultant Luis Seabra, who has thrown his considerable influence behind the project. All the wines see a short and very gentle extraction in the cellar, judicious use of oak, primarily in larger formats, with varying proportions of concrete and stainless steel employed to retain an inherent granitic freshness.
Read MoreWe are delighted to be introducing these detail-driven wines to the market, confident that this is project destined to become a Portuguese great.