Giz by Luis Gomes
Bairrada
The Only Producer In Bairrada Exclusively Working with Centenarian Vines
There is only one word on the lips of Bairrada wine lovers everywhere, Giz (pronounced “jEEz”). Giz, which translates to chalk, is the new project of bio-medical engineer turned winemaker Luis Gomes. It is also the most exciting new project in Bairrada in a generation.
What makes Luis’s project SO exciting is the vineyards, which are entirely centenarian, “old vine” plots in eastern Bairrada. These old vineyards, bush vines of mostly Baga with heritage clonal material, are actually relatively rare in Bairrada, and Giz is totally unique in only using old vineyards like these.
The older vines obviously bring an intensity to the wines, but it is not just the fact that the vines are old-as-such that make them special. The vines pre-date the modernization of the Bairrada wine industry, which involved a process of clonal selection of Baga to make it ripen faster (i.e. more alcohol and darker fruit driven flavors). Using older clones allows Luis to make a much more ethereal, transparent, and lifted wine.
Before Luis started his own project, he spent several years working at Quinta das Bageiras, one of the great legacy estates in the region making old school, powerfully structured and aromatic Baga with minimal intervention.
In concert with Luis’s strong scientific background, his time at Quinta das Bageiras greatly influenced his approach in the winery. All of the fruit is carefully monitored during the growing season, and each vineyard is harvested three times. Once for sparkling, again for rose, and finally for the red wines, with each pick helping to propel the ripeness of the fruit towards the next harvest. Once the fruit is in the winery, the wines spontaneously yet slowly ferment at low temperatures, allowing the delicate aromas of the minerality to shine through. These are, without a doubt, the prettiest wines made in Bairrada. If Luis Pato is Vosne-Romanee and Quinta das Bageiras is Gevery Chambertin, then Giz is Chambolle Musigny.
