Familia Carvalho Martins Douro Pacto Palhete 2023 750ml

PORTUGAL : DOURO : DOURO SUPERIOR

ORGANIC : Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão

LIGHT-BODIED, VIOLET, BLUEBERRY, BLACK CHERRY, CRISP, NO OAK

Palhete is an old Portuguese trick — light, chillable red made from red grapes pressed early, almost like a rosé but with more structure and a touch of grip. The style nearly disappeared under decades of extracted Port and heavy Douro reds; a handful of small producers are bringing it back on their own terms.

Vasco and Rui Martins left careers in banking and law to take over Quinta Vale do Olmo — a 4-generation family estate in the eastern Douro — in 2014. The altitude runs 530–600 meters, the soils are schist, and the nights are cool enough to hold the acidity that makes this work. The 2023 has that signature freshness: violet and blueberry on the nose, a creamy mid-palate, and enough structure to carry through a plate of food. Serve cold.

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