PIRR. The wind of change.
The Place
Curving gracefully around the gently sloping hills and plains of lower Alentejo in Southern Portugal, protected by the ancient town of Almodôvar, lie over 80 hectares of new vineyards.
It is a landscape full of rustic beauty, shifting light and elegance. Time spent here yields up the subtle rhythms and currents of nature.
You are ‘fora da confusão’ – far from the madding crowd. If you stop for a moment, you become attuned to something elemental and profound.
You may appreciate the smallest details of the environment around you. Its peace and quiet: ‘paz e sossego’. You may marvel at how nature’s touch of air, light or temperature can have such a subtle yet dramatic effect.
It is a unique setting for exceptional quality wines.
The Estate
Our vineyards here, adjacent to Serra do Caldeirão, are some of the highest in the Alentejo region. Their altitude of 350m produces wide atmospheric temperature ranges providing a highly desirable mix of winter chill and summer heat.
The land has been used for farming since 1442, and the vines have been carefully planted to reap the best from the soils and schist stones that are the foundation and soul of our property.
“ Every aspect of our winemaking – from the selection of grape varieties to the precise planting, orientation, and exposure of the vines
– has been focussed on presenting the uniqueness of Southern Alentejo’s terroir. ”
Nuno Rodrigues. Winemaker
The Climate
Summers here are warm and dry, tempered by fresh Atlantic breezes. At harvest time the humidity rises, and temperatures ease whilst the stark contrast between the still hot days and cold nights persist. It enables the grapes to slowly attain full maturation and quality.
These weather fluctuations, allied with the geology of schist, rock, clay and quartz, produce positive stress causing the vines to work harder, casting their roots deeper in the search for water. The deeper the roots, the deeper the minerality – and the better the quality of the grapes. This remarkable minerality, enhanced by the copper and zinc in the red soil, produces the aromas and flavours distinctive to Alentejo.
The People
Inspired by the land we know well, passionate about wine and wanting to produce something that evokes the best of the region, we have crafted a new wine.
And with help from the skilled local community in Almodôvar, we are regenerating old farming ground which has been untended for decades.
Our approach to winemaking is innovative, encompassing old and new thinking.
It includes cutting edge technology, precision land irrigation, modern winery equipment, blending old and new world varieties, progressive integrated/organic production practises and French oak barrels.
Our story has always been about change – putting roots down in new places, sensing new destinies in the air. Our family history spans 1700’s Britain to India, Africa – and now back to Europe.
So, we have called the wine PIRR: an ancient word for ‘gentle breeze’.
