Herdade do Freixo
ABOUT HERDADE DO FREIXO
Herdade do Freixo is located in northeastern Alentejo, in the municipality of Redondo, which focuses on wine production with grape varieties suitable for the soil and climate of the property, innovating in the productive details, which give character and savoir faire to your wines.
With a dimension of about 300 ha of pure Alentejo, its greatest ambition is the genuine preservation of this rural landscape and that its wines convey the best of the essence of their land, its vineyards and the terroir. This ambition is materialized with the construction of an innovative, fully underground winery unique in Europe, serving the purposes of the vineyard without interfering in the balance of the natural ecosystem.
Idealized with total consistency, from the choice of grape varieties and clones, to the implantation of the vineyard, the viticulture and winemaking style adopted, the selection of the lots, to the stage of almost two years in depth, with constant temperatures throughout the year, all the choices in the construction of the Herdade do Freixo project were and are daily directed towards obtaining wines with great concentration, persistence and simultaneously a differentiating freshness and longevity for the wines of the region.
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location
Northeastern Alentejo within the municipality of Redondo.
Encompassing ~300 hectares in the picturesque village of Freixo, nestled between Serra D'Ossa and Évora.
The estate aims to encapsulate the very essence of its land, vineyards, and terroir within its wines.
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Alentejo
Alentejo is a region of rolling plains, a relatively smooth and flat landscape that stretches across almost a third of mainland Portugal.
Wines from Redondo tend to be balanced and offer freshness and fruit.
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Soils and Microclimate
The soils are predominantly derived from eruptive rocks, of which quartz diorites and some rocks derived from shale stand out.
High sanitary conditions and adoption of conduction systems that allow an excellent microclimate of the grapes, combined with their implantation at an altitude of approximately 450m, which originates fresh nights during the month prior to the harvest, allow a long and correct ripening of the grapes.
innovation
The estate boasts one of Europe's most architecturally stunning wineries, ingeniously concealed underground to maintain the unspoiled beauty of the landscape.
This remarkable facility operates seamlessly, aligning with the vineyard's goals without disrupting the delicate balance of the natural ecosystem.
Awards
This outstanding wine cellar won the the prestigious international award of Building of the Year, by ArchDaily of NY in 2018.
Herdade has also been voted the best destination for wine tourism in the Alentejo in 2019. A statement reads: “an amazing, daring and innovative design, designed to last well into the future, while respecting nature and the surrounding ecosystem”.
Adapted from
https://www.covetedition.com/projects/herdade-do-freixo-wine-cellar-wins-building-year-2018/
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/herdade-do-freixo-voted-best-for-wine-tourism/50283
impact of innovation
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Stability
Being underground, the cellar’s design reduces the temperature range throughout the year, which provides a stable temperature.
This is ideal for the proper development of the wines and retains their freshness and balance.
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Fermentation
The design also takes into account the potential of the grapes and respect for the wine during the fermentation stage and no pumps are used throughout the process.
Instead, gravity is used throughout the production process and this concept is unique in Europe.
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Taste
Overall, this environment fosters the development of impressive concentration and longevity, infusing the wines with a distinctive freshness that embodies the region's essence.
“With regard to customers and suppliers, Herdade do Freixo is committed to building solid partnerships, focused on common ideals of excellence, trust and sustainability.”