Humus Vinho Rosé Lisbon 2022

Located just an hour north of Lisbon lies Humus, the brainchild of Rodrigo Filipe who took over the family land from his father. If one were to time travel back to the 1960’s, the estate would look quite different - Rodrigo’s grandfather focused on polyculture, which was much more en vogue at the time. Now, the estate focuses solely on viticulture, with nine hectares of vines planted on the red clay and limestone slopes surrounding the property. The farm is almost shirelike, somewhat mythical in its remoteness. Untamed grasses freely unfurl between the rows, adding lush contrast to the deep red clay of the earth. No surrounding neighbors allows Rodrigo to freely work without chemicals and instead focus on fostering biodiversity. Certified organic since 2006, the vineyards are home to a uniquely cool microclimate that allows for lower alcohol extractions (don’t be surprised to see 11-12% abv on the labels). Rodrigo has also been dogmatic about no sulfur additions, establishing himself as one of the only Portuguese producers operating this way. This rosé defies seasonality (drink pink all year round!), shapeshifting depending on the needs of the consumer. Comprised of a blend of touriga nacional, arinto, and fernão pires, the touriga nacional macerates on its red skins for three hours and is then racked to macerate on the destemmed skins of arinto and fernão pires for 30 days. It is then aged in oak barrels for 9 months. As refreshing as an Aperol spritz, it has an orange Starburst nose and tart lip-smacking acidity. Cinnamon bark and preserved lemon peel add subtle complexity. In a word, yummy. Certified organic, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.