Vale Mercê
Terroir
Terroir
Resende belongs to the Baião sub-region, recognized in 1999. It differs from the other sub-regions of the Vinho Verde Demarcated Region by being in greater contact with mountainous areas.
This sub-region ends up having a drier, more continental climate, which allows for wines with greater structure, complexity, and body, while still maintaining the typical freshness of Vinho Verde wines.
Vale Mercê is located on the south bank of the Douro River, in Resende, which in turn distinguishes itself from the rest of the Baião sub-region, as it forms the link between the Vinho Verde Demarcated Region and the Douro Demarcated Region.
The region
This region has altitudes ranging from 40 to 650 meters, and therefore has some continental influence, typically characterized by hot, dry summers and cold, rainy winters.
In Resende, the soils are predominantly granitic with a distinguishing characteristic: at lower altitudes, there is some schist influence, which makes this area excellent for grapes with greater structure, body, complexity, and excellent phenolic ripeness, while still maintaining the freshness that is so characteristic of Vinho Verde wines.
Here we like to preserve the richest aspects of this region, and that’s why we use our native white grape varieties such as Loureiro, Fernão Pires, Alvarinho, Trajadura, Arinto, and Avesso, but with a greater emphasis on Arinto and Avesso, which are the queen varieties of the Resende region, without forgetting our red varieties Touriga Nacional and Vinhão.
Vineyards
The Vale Mercê vineyards, located in Resende, are planted on the south bank of the Douro River in granitic soil with some schist influence, on terraces. These vines were trained in a single cordon system and are relatively new, being only three years old. The grape varieties planted here are Fernão Pires and Arinto.
These vineyards have grass cover, for greater soil protection, but also for sustainability, which is very much in vogue today. We have a policy very focused on sustainability and therefore on the least possible intervention, sometimes trying to use more ecological practices.
In the vineyards of our local producers, we find an immense variety of grape varieties at different altitudes, which is important for biodiversity and helps in the resistance to pests and diseases. Furthermore, it allows us to produce much more structured wines.
In Resende, it’s common to find old vines in small plots, a characteristic that sets us apart from the rest of the Vinho Verde region.
