Tapada do Chaves
Tapada do Chaves is a cornerstone of classic Portuguese wine. Set in the far north of Alentejo at the foot of the São Mamede mountains, the estate holds some of the oldest continually farmed vines in the region—some over 100 years old. These ungrafted, granite-soil vines yield low crops and high character: wines built on tension, structure, and age-worthiness. In a region known for heat and power, Tapada stands apart. Farming is organic. Winemaking is restrained. The wines are pure, precise, and quietly expressive—traditional, yet quietly modern in the best sense.
Farming Note
Dry-farmed on ancient terraces in the Serra de São Mamede. No irrigation. Manual treatments. Old vine material—some over 100 years old, once thought lost. This is heritage farming with a light hand and long view.
Winemaking
Winemaking is classic and grounded. Whites see gentle pressing and slow fermentations. Reds age slowly in large-format wood. No tricks. No shortcuts. Just quiet confidence in what the vineyard gives.
Wines
Tapada do Chaves, Alentejo, Branco
Vintage 2018
Style white
Region Alentejo
Varieties Arinto, Assario, Fernão Pires, Tamarez, Roupeiro, among others
ABV 13.00%
Soils granite bedrock
Tasting Note Quietly powerful white. Built on minerality and tension, with firm structure and a savory, salty edge. Not showy, just pure class. A wine that gets better the longer you sit with it.
Tapada do Chaves, Alentejo, Vinhas Velhas, Branco 6/750ML
Vintage 2018
Style white
Region Alentejo
Varieties Arinto, Assario, Fernão Pires, Tamarez, Roupeiro, among others
ABV 13.00%
Soils Granite-based soils
Tasting Note From old vines with deep roots, this is the more layered expression—denser and more textural, with real gravitas. Still driven by acid and stone, but with breadth and age-worthiness. Think soulful white Burgundy, but Portuguese.
HURON RIVER WINE CO.