Gardunha Sul, an interesting new producer in Portugal’s Beira Interior
André Lourenço spent 15 years making techno wines for other people before he decided to start his own project, making wines that were transparent and expressed a place. He’s based in Fundão in the Beira Interior, with warm dry days and cold nights during the growing season, and has 2.5 hectares of vines. These are in poor sandy granitic soils, ideal for making high quality wines, and are 60-80 years old. He plans to plant 7 hectares here.
He began Gardunha Sol during the pandemic in 2020, but officially started in 2021. His previous career saw him take winemaking jobs in the Alentejo and Lisboa, and at one point he left wine altogether before coming back.
THE WINES
Gardunha Sul Gatafunho Branco 2023 (tank sample)
Lively, bright, fresh and stony with nice apple and pear fruit, as well as white peach. Shows freshness, complexity and a bit of structure. 92/100
Gardunha Sul Primeras Gotas 2021
Fernão Pires with some Arinto and Muscat, aged 9 months in chestnut barrels. Full yellow/gold colour. Tangy, bright and lemony with nice purity and waxy citrus notes as well as some orange peel. Grippy with nice brightness. Structured with a marmalade edge. 93/100
Gardunha Sul Gatufunho Tinto 2022
12% alcohol. 75% Castelão plus 25% field blend. Pale cherry red. Lively, tart and bright with lovely cherry fruit and some spicy notes. Grippy and firm with lovely balance, and some savoury notes. 93/100
Gardunha Sul Primeras Gotas Corricão 2022
45% Rufete then 20% Marouf and the balance other varieties. Foot trodden in a lagar, whole cluster, where it stays for fermentation plus another 7 days. Lovely cherries and plums with nice texture, and good acidity. Has a sour cherry twist on the finish. Classy, ripe and textural with a savoury twist on the finish. 93/100
Gardunha Sul Carrolice 2022
This is a blend of Rufete, Cartegabogos and Alfrocheiro made in lagar. Bright and lively showing nice acidity and a firm structure with appealing red cherry and plums fruit, with good acidity and really firm tannins. 93/100
Older notes from July 2022
Gardunha SulPrimeras Gotas Curtimenta 2021
Appley and vivid some oxidative hints lively acid twist apricot fresh and fine with a juicy edge 92/100
Gardunha Sul Primeras Gotas Oxid Chestnut 2020
Lively and bright pithy some lovely citrus and orange peel some nuts nice acidity distinctive nice precision 93/100
Gardunha Sul Rosé 2021
Castelão. Lovely strawberry and raspberry fruit with some nice structure. It has some bite with a bit of grippy character. Herbal hints nicely tart. 92/100
Gardunha Sul Castelão 2021
Partially destemmed foot trodden once a day. Juicy, lively and spicy bright raspberry some crunch nice spiciness. Crunchy and tart with good density. 91.100
Gardunha Sul Field Mix 2020
Abandoned vineyards. Rescued first wine from this. Some grapes over some under 20+ varieties. Complex, spicy, dense and rich with some tannin. Bold and expressive with nice depth with grippy structure. 93/100
