V.Puro
Bairrada & Dão, Portugal
Nuno Mira do Ó
In a word, Nuno.
Nuno Mira do Ó is the singular inertia that drives both V. Puro and his eponymous Mira do Ó project in the myriad directions across the Portuguese landscape. Nuno is an untethered vine hunter, scouring the full country with the pure heart of a vigneron unlocking the core of any realized terroir. When he does root himself eventually, it is in agreement with the “old-timers”, often hiding a few rows, for sure off the beaten path. Certainly nothing is contiguous. In fact, he often has to travel into separate regions to satisfy the hunt. The reward is worthy of his tireless efforts, since his goal is the original clones of the indigenous varietals, shared and planted before the government mandated nursery clones were dispersed for larger co-op production decades ago. Exact location is perhaps not as important. It is these old timers that give wisdom and complexity to his wines.
As a result of his unique endeavor, Nuno has multiple projects in motion, each giving a “grand cru” level of precision and artistry. Cellar work is minimal, with a goal of terroir expression, natural concentration and proof that these original species are worthy of long cellar aging. Where he can grow, he is grafting/replanting “massale” cuttings to increase his chances of creating more wine to prove this point. If he can find “own-rooted” plants, all the better.
This brings Nuno to the edge of the Atlantic in Bairrada, along the forested streams of the Dão, to some parts in Alentajo and even in Menção e Melgaço in the far north (with Joana Santiago for SOU wines). He is respected by many of his peers as a source of wisdom, one who makes terroir transparency a practice and understandable. He refers to himself as a druid, like the ancient Celtic mystics whose connection to the earth and plants drove their quest to achieve spiritual equilibrium through the balance of nature. Similarly, he is quiet and observant. He lets the wine do most of the talking.
If there is one producer in particular that we appreciate for a vision, a roadmap toward Portugal’s terroir appreciation and understanding, Nuno would stand out. We have the great pleasure of getting to know him now through V. Puro’s finessed Baga and his sensuous Encruzado in Mira do Ó. It will be a pleasure furthermore where we meet him down the road.
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Nuno is a first generation winemaker from an agricultural family. He studied agricultural engineering and fell in love with wines in college. Admittedly, he finds vines to be more interesting than cows. So he found his way to viticulture and then moved on to winemaking and from there fell very fast for the old clones that made distinctly better wines than he found around him. Often it is one bottle of great wine moves people into action, but specifically a dust-covered bottle of Baga, found in the garage of a local farmer during a bit of vineyard negotiation propelled Nuno from curiosity into perpetual motion. Despite the farmer not recalling the exact age, it was clearly old enough to be forgotten, made for household consumption and uncorked for some time already.... and yet it sang as if it was young and well kept in a pristine cellar. He thought then, if the grape could be this good, this old, without human care, then the vines that made it must be super stuff. And so the hunt began....
V.Puro
The essence of V.Puro is identified with a singular vineyard with ancient vines in Bairrada, lying only a short drive from the Atlantic. The vines age runs between 80 to 120 years, and resemble twisted and fallen trees more than those planted in formal, wire-trained rows. The elevation is nearly beach level. Baga and Touriga National are here for Tinto. Bical is the focus for the whites. Underfoot is limestone, sand and clay. The wines are named after the 2 vineyards: Doravante and Outrora, with Alias indicating the freshness within the vineyard. -
V Puro vineyards are located in the Cadoiços valley, near Mealhada. The climate is purely Atlantic, the vineyards are just 30 km distance from the sea, without any natural barriers. The soils are clay-limestone, with some clayey and deeper plots and others more calcareous and exposed. The vines are mostly centennial and here the old Baga or “Poeirinho” grape dominates. Viticulture is all manual since these old vines are impossible to mechanize.
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As a viticulturist, Nuno is in constant search for balance between the soil, the climate, and the vines. Winemaking minimalist in terms of intervention but quite differentiated and adapted to each of the different vineyards, that is, the different parcels also have a different approach in the winery in order to better reveal what he believes to be its purest expression.
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The viniculture is widely varied in technique, all according to the best expression of varietal, vintage and place. In other words, no set recipe leaving room to create pleasure. At the minimum however, grapes are hand picked and sorted. fermentations occur naturally. There is always a delicate hand in extraction and oak barrels are used only to enhance, not overwhelm, the natural beauty of the fruit.
Wines
V. Puro Alias Branco
Grape: Nearly 100% Bical (with mix of local grapes interplanted)
Soil: Clay and limestone
In very small quantities. tucked between the old Baga vines of this vineyard, there are a few lost white grape vines (mostly Bical). Open press of whole-clusters, no decanting. Fermentations in used/old barrels, without adding yeast and with very slow fermentations. They are usually bottled after 12 months of aging on fine lees and then aged in the bottle.
V. Puro Alias Tinto
Grape: 100% Baga
Made from the Baga vines located in the cooler portions of the vineyard, aiming to express a fresh-spirited expression of Baga. It is fermented in “lagares” with manual treading, but with a shorter aging period. Lighter color, with delicate fruit and fine tannins, fresh acidity and a huge depth.
V. Puro Doravante Branco
Doravante (meaning “henceforth”) is the first step forward into the vineyards, a first look into the spirit that is Bairrada.
Grapes: 80% Arinto with 20% old-vine Bical and Cercial Open press of whole-clusters, no decanting. Fermentations in used/old barrels for Bical and Sercial and stainless steel for Arinto, without adding yeast and with very slow fermentations. Spaontaneous Malo-Lactic fermentation. It is usually bottled after 12 months of aging on fine lees and then aged in the bottle.
V. Puro Doravante Tinto
Grapes: 50% Baga, 50% Touriga Nacional
This is born from a mixed vineyard parcel where Baga cohabitates with Touriga Nacional. In an attempt to capture the most delicate sides of these two Portuguese varieties, the 2 grapes are harvested on the same day and fermented together in an oak vat, making a long and soft skin contact. 40% whole cluster. No pump-overs, just gentle extraction. Aged in the conical wooden vats for one year before bottling.
3,500 bottles
V. Puro Outrora Tinto
Grapes: 100% Baga
The wine Outrora Bairrada Clássico was first produced in the 2009 vintage and its elaboration is a tribute to the centenarian vineyards that are the region’s matriarchs and witnesses of times past (the meaning of outrora). They are a selection of the richest grapes from the Baga variety in a small vineyard.
The fruit is partially de-stemmed with foot- treading in “lagares”. Natural fermentation. After amlo, aged 24 mons in 50% new french oak barrels. Rests 24 months before being bottled.
Clássico is a quality denomination, exclusive of Bairrada, just for very high end Baga wines.