2018 · Excomungado

Quinta de Vale de Pios is a founder-owned Douro estate established in 2003 and run by Joaquim Almeida da Silva, a geologist who serves as the sole winemaker. The vineyards sit at around 200 metres on complex soils of broken quartz, granite, shale and black schist, including pre-phylloxera vines. Farming follows an organic, natural approach without formal certification, with a strong focus on biodiversity through vertical planting, grass cover and low-yield indigenous varieties. This single-person operation is dedicated to low-intervention wines that express the estate’s terroir while maintaining sustainable vineyard practices.