António Maçanita, Tinta Negra dos Villões, Madeira, Portugal

Who - Antonio Maçanita & Nuno Faria, Profetas & Villões
Where - Estreito de Câmara, Madeira, Portugal
What - Red Wine - Tinta Negra
When - 2024
How  - Organic practices, early harvest, 30% whole bunch, spontaneous fermentation, 40 day maceration, matured in french oak, lightly filtered, vegan

A collaboration between Antonio Maçanita, a man with his finger in many a Portugese wine pie and Madeiran restaurateur, Nuno Faria, Villões & Profetas is a project based on Portugal's volcanic islands, Madeira and Port Santo around 1,000km off the mainland. The term 'Villões' is the nickname given to the Madeirans by the inhabitants of the much smaller Port Santo (who are referred to as the 'Profetas') as the term comes from vila or city due to the island having a population of 300 thousand compared to the mere 3 thousand on Port Santo.

Tinta Negra is one of Madeira's ancient, indigenous grapes, famed for its use in the island's signature fortified wines but unfortunately deemed as an inferior grape for red wine. Antonio and Nuna felt in only right to shine a light on the potential of this ancient grape and have sourced fruit from three plots across the south of the island in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos and São Vicente grown on 40 year old vines in volcanic soils. The grapes are all hand harvested very early to retain freshness. 70% are destemmed and the rest left whole bunch before spontaneous fermentation and a following extended maceration of 40 days. 

Fresh and crunchy with an intense nose of strawberries and herbaceous hints. A versatile red that'd work equally well with fish as it would with meat