COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2022
GRAPE
Vinhão
PRODUCER
Aphros Wine
REGION
Vinho Verde
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
High
Finish
Medium - Long
Intensity
Pronounced
Tannins
Medium - High
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Aphros is the visionary project of Vasco Croft, a Lisbon-born architect and metaphysician who experienced a life-changing moment over a bottle of wine with a Buddhist monk. Viewing this as a personal encounter with Dionysus, he returned in 2003 to Quinta do Casal do Paço, his family's ancestral estate since the 17th century, to pioneer biodynamic viticulture in the Vinho Verde region. Collaborating with winemakers Tiago Sampaio and Miguel Viseu, Croft has redefined the region's traditional red wines, proving that the local Vinhão grape can produce deeply concentrated, elegant, and highly expressive cool-climate reds.
ALCOHOL
11.5%
AVG. PRICE
€16
STYLE
Natural
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
12-14°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
Founder Vasco Croft decided to make biodynamic wine after sharing a bottle with a Buddhist monk, viewing it as an encounter with Dionysus.
Fact 02
Made from Vinhão, a rare 'teinturier' grape variety featuring both dark skins and red flesh, yielding an incredibly deep purple color.
Fact 03
The grapes are traditionally crushed by foot-treading in ancient granite stone troughs called lagares.
FOOD PAIRING
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WINE MAKING PROCESS
The winemaking process for this cuvée follows a minimalist, low-intervention philosophy. Hand-harvested grapes from certified biodynamic vineyards are destemmed and traditionally foot-trodden in ancient granite stone troughs, known as lagares. Spontaneous fermentation is carried out by indigenous wild yeasts with extended skin and pip contact at controlled temperatures. Following a complete spontaneous malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged on its fine lees for six to nine months in stainless steel vats to preserve its pristine, vibrant fruit character. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.
