Ferreira & Claro 'Samarra' 2021

Introduced to many of the world’s great bottles by Dirk Niepoort – one of Portugal’s most important innovators, inspiring a new generation to farm conscientiously and seek freshness and authenticity – Vítor Claro gave up a career as head chef of his burgeoning restaurant empire to pursue a life devoted to making wine.

In 2010, Vítor and his wife Rita Ferreira were drawn to 2.5ha of old vineyards in Portalegre in the cool, northernmost reaches of the Alentejo to set up their own winemaking project, Dominó. When his oenologist let him down on the eve of his first harvest, Vítor called Niepoort for advice: “It’s the best thing that could happen to you,” Dirk told him. “You don’t need an oenologist – they would only spoil it. Make it simple, make it pure.”

Buoyed by their success in Alentejo, Vítor and Rita now also farm 2ha of vines in Carcavelos and Colares – two historic wine regions in Lisbon’s backyard that have been almost entirely lost to property development. From south-facing Castelão and Touriga Nacional vineyards in Carcavelos, ‘Samarra’ is offers finesse, texture, and floral spice in equal measure.