Quinta da Serradinha Tinto "Castelão & Friends" '16

At our shop, you may have noticed a certain "ladybug wine." An unmistakable label centered around the image of the often adored insect, which even includes a "souvenir" wooden ladybug on the cork that you have to remove before opening the bottle. From one of the kindest, most thoughtful winemakers out there, António Marques da Cruz decides to make it known what Serradinha represents, all through a single insect. The ladybug is the symbol for organic viticulture in Portugal. With no use of pesticides in the vineyards, ladybugs are known for helping keep aphids away by eating them. And as one of the first, and most important wineries to pioneer organic viticulture in the country, Serradinha embodies the ladybug, proudly. There's also an additional, sentimental story attached to the ladybug - story goes that António’s father was about to open a bottle when a real one landed right on top of. This was right around the time of the transmission of the estate, and António found it so beautiful and inspiring that he decided to symbolize the moment with each bottle. A winery of many firsts, with history that dates back to the middle of the 20th Century, when the Marques da Cruz family began to commercialize wine in the region. Recognizing the historic wine growing importance of the region, the family resurrected the vineyards, and way before anyone else in the region began producing wine in the most organic and sustainable way. In fact, they began organically farming in the 1970s and then in 1994, they became first to be certified organic in all of Portugal! Today António Marques da Cruz is still one of the leaders in not just the region, but Portugal as a whole when it comes to producing wine as naturally as possible in both the vineyards and the winery. Leiria is north of Lisbon, along the Atlantic coast. Serradinha translates to "little mountain" which highlights its terrain - rolling hillsides, full of limestone and embraced by a cooler, maritime climate. Between the environmental factors, and António's judicious winemaking technique, the wines embrace lower alcohol levels, high acidic levels and highlights minerality. The wines also have incredible potential to age. Castelão and friends is a blend of 60% Castelão, 15% Touriga Nacional, 15% Alfrocheiro and 10% Tinta Miúda. Castelão is a varietal for any Pinot Noir or Sangiovese drinker to take note of. The incredibly fresh, high toned red fruit soars out of the glass with absolute purity. Fragrant with cherry, pomegranate and fruit blossom & violets. Once it splashes onto the palate, silky tannins roll around your mouth, with acidity that carries the fruit through to a finish that is accompanied by a savory, mineral-laden essence that is undeniable. We don't get to feature wines from Serradinha often because the winery is extremely small in production. A true love story for wine, as António is able to be the first generation to dedicate himself wholly to the winery, making it an exclusive occupation. Who treats the winery with such passion and true devotion. We can't imagine him doing anything else, and we know how proud his father is.