Quinta dos Murças announces the release of its 2021 Minas and Margem red wines. These two wines with minimal intervention are the culmination of a journey of more than ten years: the conversion of its vineyards to fully organic production, now symbolized by a minimalist, disruptive brand identity.
It was in 2011 when the first vineyard plot was redesigned and converted to organic production. This new direction was further reinforced in 2021, when Murças completed the vineyard conversion, as they wagered on less interventionist methods that are more exacting and require harder work. This transformation allowed for the preservation and healing of the soils, improving their health and vitality, and it strengthened the vines, leaving them more resilient.
Lourenço Charters, viticulture and winemaking manager at Quinta dos Murças, says that this release attests to “the journey of Quinta dos Murças as a producer of organic wines and, with that, calls attention to those methods that improve the balance between nature and production.”¬
Quinta das Murcas Minas is so named because the vineyards are planted above natural springs, "minas" in Portuguese. This wine is produced from plots planted between 1987 and 2011, with southern exposures and altitudes ranging from 110 to 300 metres. Quinta dos Murças Margem is a near vertical vineyard on the bank, or "margem", of the Douro River. It was planted between 1980 and 1987, at low altitude, in schist soils, with southern and western exposures.
The new image mirrors the simplicity and authenticity of Quinta dos Murças. “We wanted to enhance the brand identity and align it with our vision. We decided to partner with Studio Eduardo Aires, to devise a minimalist, disruptive, modern and sober design, inspired by the people of Murças. We added features such as altitude, vineyard size and vine age to the name of the wines to showcase what distinguishes them—their origin. The back label comes to life with the art of João Abel Mota, whose charcoal drawings depict the vines producing each wine. This new image is being launched simultaneously with the release of our first organic wines that express—without filters—the place they come from. More than ever, history, tradition, people, and nature are portrayed on this label,” says António Nascimento, Quinta dos Murças Brand & Market Manager.