Natus
Vidigueira, Alentejo
Regenerative vines grown in the backyard of one of Portugal’s top winemakers.
Hamilton Reis was the head winemaker for Cortes de Cima for 14 years, and his current day job is the head winemaker for Herdade do Mouchao, arguably the most legendary producer of dry wine in all of Portugal.
For over a decade, however, he has nurtured the ambition to make wine under his own name, and with total freedom from vineyard to glass. He started by preparing the land. At his home in Vidigueira, he underwent a cycle of cover crop seeding and livestock grazing that lasted for 10 years. Finally, in 2018 he started planting the vineyard to a blend of varieties, each stake trained into their own mini pergolas, to help the future canopies protect the future fruit from the Alentejano sun. The vineyard has been certified organic since its inception, and Hamilton continues regenerative viticultural practices with cover crops and no tillage to further enrich the soils.
He has also purchased several small, near centenary, always dry farmed vineyards close by, which are also in the process of organic certification. The wines have burst onto the scene with immediate acclaim. Combining delicate precision, texture and finesse.