Wine & Soul

Brand Description

Located in the heart of the Douro Valley, Portugal’s best-known wine region, Wine & Soul spans several picturesque vineyards. This innovative yet rustic winery was founded by Jorge Serôdio Borges and his wife Sandra Tavares da Silva, both of whom wished to channel their extensive experience into a winery that would showcase the traditional varieties and terroir of the Douro Valley on an international level.

Location of Vineyard

Initially, Wine & Soul consisted of a lone vineyard, Pintas, located in the Cima Corgo's prized Pinhão Valley. Throughout the years, it expanded to include additional properties, such as the magnificent Quinta da Manoella. Parcels of 80-year-old vines are tucked into terraces carved out by dynamite a century ago. Walls built from the displaced schist border the vines, preventing erosion and enhancing the idyllic landscape.

Winemaking Philosophy

Wine & Soul has received considerable critical praise for its character-driven wines, all of which represent the exceptional terroir of the Douro region. Natural farming is prioritized, and no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are used. Irrigation is minimal and performed only by hand, and indigenous yeasts are used for almost all fermentation. Organic certification by Sativa is pending.

Due to the steep grade of the slopes and the narrow width of the terraces, all grapes must be picked by hand. The fruit is foot-trodden in granite lagares, which yields fine, silky tannins since the process is so gentle on the grapes. The wines are all aged in French barriques.

Jorge Serôdio Borges and Sandra Tavares da Silva, the husband-and-wife owners/winemakers behind Wine & Soul, have a long history in winemaking. Previously, Jorge Serôdio Borges was an oenologist at Niepoort. Sandra Tavares da Silva has the recognition of being the first female winemaker in the Douro. She gained her experience at Quinta do Vale D. Maria in the Douro and at her family’s estate of Chocapalha in Estremadura.

Owner: Sandra Tavares da Silva and Jorge Serôdio Borges
Winemaker: Sandra Tavares da Silva and Jorge Serôdio Borges
Total acreage under vine: 45
Founded: 2001
Production: 30000

“I tasted the 2022 Manoella Tinto that had been in bottle for only two weeks. Because of the very warm summer, the plants got blocked and didn’t develop much sugar, so the wine is only 13% alcohol, which is even lower than the 2021 I tasted next to it. So, it keeps the profile, fruit-driven and primary, perhaps with some notes of graphite and more tannins, but not as fine as those from the 2021.” — acclaim for 2022 Wine & Soul Manoella Tinto from Wine Advocate, Apr 2024

“The 2022 Manoella Branco comes from a high-altitude vineyard on granite soils surrounded by forest in the village of Pombal, with old vines of a field blend of Viosinho, Rabigato, Codega and Gouveio. It was fermented in stainless steel and concrete eggs and kept with fine lees for around six months with bâtonnage to give it more creaminess on the palate, as the wine has higher acidity. It’s elegeant with the austerity and finesse from the granite. They picked early in warm 2022 when only the old vines cushioned the heat, but they kind of stopped. The wine is 12.5% alcohol.” — acclaim for 2022 Wine & Soul Manoella Branco from Wine Advocate, Apr 2024

“The primary, fresh and fruit-driven 2021 Manoella Tinto was produced with grapes from vines planted in 1970s and 1984 with four varieties but still mixed in the vineyard in Quinta de Manoella on rich soils. This is a cooler place because of the forest around it. Those grapes delivered a juicy and fruit-driven red with a moderate 13.5% alcohol. It has a primary and fruit-driven nose despite having been aged in (neutral) oak barrels for 16 months. It had a long maceration that extracted deep aromas and flavors of fruits of the forest and pungent flavors, but the tannins are very polished. A Duoro with a fresher profile.” — acclaim for 2021 Wine & Soul Manoella Tinto from Wine Advocate, Apr 2024

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