Exploring Vinho Verde: Covela, who helped lead the region’s charge to more serious wine styles
Website: https://covela.pt/en/
I’m back at Covela, after a 10 year gap. And it’s nice to meet with Rui Cunha, who may only be here in a consulting role, but he’s been involved since the beginning, in 1991.
Quinta de Covela is in Vinho Verde, but only just: it’s a few hundred metres from the Douro, and is located in Baião, on the right bank of the Douro river, at the southeastern extremity of the Vinho Verde region. Here you will find more Avesso growers, whereas on the left there are more Arinto growers, but you can find both grapes on both sides.
When Rui began here in 1991, Joao Nicolau d’Almeida was the first consultant. João had trained in France and he advised Covela to plant whites, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer. Jose Rozas was also consulted, and he said it was ideal for reds, so they planted reds also. For a long time Covela made just blends: two reds, two whites and a palhete. These were a combination of Portuguese and international varieties.
Covela is a beautifully situated vineyard, in a natural amphitheatre with 16 hectares of vines on terraces. It was initially established by Manuel de Oliveira, a famous film director and screenwriter who was Portugal’s Fellini.
In 2011, Tony Smith and Marcelo Lima bought Covela, and they asked Rui if he wanted to change anything, and he said, yes, I want to make an Avesso.
There are 16 hectares of vineyards, with Avesso and Arinto the main varieties, followed by Touriga Nacional, Chardonnay, Viognier and a bit of Gewurztraminer. In 2027 they are going to plant some Alvarinho. They currently buy a bit of Alvarinho.
Brazil is an important market for these wines. They have a good importer there.
In 2013 they bought Tecedeiras and the Boavista, but Boavista was sold in 2019 because there was a big crash in Brazil and Marcelo needed money. Tecedeiras is still being made.
The vineyards are certified organic. They are also certified regenerative.
THE WINES
Covela Avesso Classic 2024 Vinho Verde, Portugal
12.5% alcohol. Lovely texture and focus here with bright citrus fruit. Lovely lemony notes with good acidity and a stony, mineral twist. This has some floral detail but also brightness and focus. So expressive and delicious. Linear. 92/100
Covela Avesso Reserva 2024 Vinho Verde, Portugal
13% alcohol. First made in 2017, fermented in older oak (used Austrian oak from Stockinger, 300 litres). Taut, linear, nicely concentrated with some texture. This has good acidity and a core of lemony fruit. Focused and linear with real refinement and precision. Long finish. 93/100
Covela Avesso Nature 2023 Vinho Verde, Portugal
12.5% alcohol. No added sulfites, unfiltered, does malolactic fermentation. They use some chestnut flour, too, as a preservative. This is quite distinctive with concentrated lemons, apples and dried herbs, with a sour cherry edge and keen acidity. There’s a bit of lift and some spiciness to the acid line, finishing with some grapefruit. This is really expressive and quite delicious. 92/100
Covela Arinto 2024 Vinho Verde, Portugal
12.5% alcohol. This is stony, bright and lemony with nice precision to the fruit. Stony and mineral with nice tension. Has a slight smokiness under the fruit. Quite delicious, finishing lemony. Beautifully proportioned. 93/100
Covela Alvarinho 2024 Vinho Verde, Portugal
Bought-in grapes from near here, and not organic. This is bright, lively and fruit driven with mandarin and apricot. Juicy and expressive with lovely fruitiness. Bright style, showing nice depth of fruit. 92/100
Covela Touriga Nacional Rosé 2024 Vinho Verde, Portugal
Juicy and fruity with some strawberry and cream character, as well as pear and citrus and a twist of cherry. Very textural and quite creamy in style. 89/100
Covela Branco 2023 Vinho Verde, Portugal
In the past this was called Covela Escolha, now it’s just called Branco, and it’s the wine that put Covela in the map. A blend of the five white grapes planted at Covela. Fresh, lively with nice concentration of citrus fruit. This has citrus, pear and nice acidity. Lovely tension here with good acidity. Bold, concentrated, with lots of flavour, but very fresh and linear. 94/100
Covela Chardonnay Reserva 2023 Vinho Verde, Portugal
13% alcohol. This is fresh and lively with some pear and white peach, some mineral-laced lemon and then notes of herbs, nuts and a touch of dairy. It’s quite tightwound and finishes slightly bitter. Oak isn’t obvious. 91/100
Covela Viognier Reserva 2024 Vinho Verde, Portugal
13% alcohol. This is the first vintage of this wine. Really nice peach, apricot and citrus fruit with nice acidity, and some crystalline citrus on the finish. Good concentration here with a tapering, spicy finish. Really impressive. 93/100
Covela Avesso Edição Nacional 2015 Vinho Verde, Portugal
Powerful and intense with marmalade, orange peel, lime and some fine spicy notes. There’s a bit of waxy savouriness here, and a lovely taut acid line. Really nice intensity here. This has developed really well. 94/100
Covela Avesso Reserva Edição Nacional 2017 Vinho Verde, Portugal
This is powerful and intense with lime and herbs, showing some pithy density, good acidity and bold, savoury-laced fruit. Lovely intensity and depth here, with some complexity. 94/100
