Ramilo Nativas Branco 2023

Colares has not had an easy journey. This petite vinicultural gem, nestled between Lisbon and the Atlantic, has weathered more storms-both literal and figurative-than many entire regions. In the 1960s, the adversary was neither the climate nor phylloxera: it was urban development. Centuries-old vineyards gave way to urban expansion, sacrificed to the cement boom. Those that endured did so under almost heroic conditions: vines growing on pure sand, manually buried to withstand the Atlantic winds and salt. A Herculean effort that yields only a few bottles. This is where the Ramilo family enters the scene. Viticulturists since 1937, Nuno and Pedro-the fourth generation-decided not to give up. They rolled up their sleeves and returned to the steep slopes of the Lizandro River, near Mafra, with a clear mission: to revive the family tradition, but with a forward-looking vision. And with absolute respect for the land. Ramilo Nativas Branco is a wine that speaks the language of the sea.