A modern recreation of a centuries-old Portuguese wine style, made from an extraordinary field blend of around 20 grape varieties from two old Atlantic vineyards.
Espera Palheto comes from two vineyards in Alcobaça and Caldas da Rainha, each around 50 years old, planted with approximately 20 different grape varieties growing together on clay-limestone soils. Rather than focusing on a single grape, this traditional field-blend approach captures the vineyard as a whole—a wonderfully old-school expression of place that Rodrigo Martins uses to recreate the style of wines made in this region during medieval times.
The Atlantic climate is central to the wine's personality. Both vineyards are harvested early, during the first week of September, and remarkably, Rodrigo harvests both on the same day. The grapes are picked by hand into small 15kg cases before undergoing natural fermentation for five days, with fermentation finishing in old 500- and 700-litre French oak barrels. The wine then remains in those same barrels for seven months, allowing it to develop texture and complexity without being dominated by new oak.
The result is a beautiful light ruby wine that almost sits somewhere between our conventional ideas of red and rosé. Expect cherry and pear alongside delicate floral notes, spice and a distinctive mineral character. On the palate it's elegant and intense but wonderfully fresh, with the sort of lightness and energy that makes you immediately want another glass.
At only 11.2% ABV and 1.7 g/L residual sugar, this is a beautifully dry, refreshing expression of the style. Serve it at around 13°C—slightly chilled rather than traditional red-wine temperature—to really show off its freshness and aromatic character. And with only 4,000 bottles produced, it's a genuinely tiny-production wine.
What exactly is Palheto?
Palheto is one of Portugal's fascinating traditional wine styles, historically made by co-fermenting red and white grape varieties together. The result typically falls somewhere between a light red and a dark rosé—not quite either, and really not trying to be.
Long before "chillable reds" became fashionable, wines like this were being made throughout Portugal as everyday wines from mixed vineyards where numerous varieties grew side by side. Rather than separating everything by grape variety, growers harvested the vineyard and fermented the grapes together.
That's particularly important with Espera's version. With around 20 varieties growing across two old vineyards, you're not really supposed to identify one star grape. The wine is an expression of the vineyards themselves: red and white grapes, old vines, clay-limestone soils and the cool Atlantic climate all coming together in one bottle.
About Espera
Espera is the project of winemaker Rodrigo Martins and Ana Leal, founded in 2014 when Rodrigo began working with tiny vineyard parcels around Alcobaça, in Portugal's Lisboa wine region. Rodrigo, an agronomic engineer with a master's degree in viticulture and oenology, had spent years consulting for wineries throughout Portugal before creating something of his own; Ana is responsible for the distinctive identity of the brand.
The vineyards sit on a plateau around 120 metres above sea level, close to Nazaré and the Atlantic Ocean. That maritime influence is hugely important: cooler conditions and high humidity, combined with predominantly clay-limestone soils, give Espera's wines their signature freshness, natural acidity, minerality and saline character.
Their approach in both vineyard and cellar is deliberately hands-off. Espera follows organic farming principles and low-intervention winemaking, avoiding unnecessary additives and allowing wines the time they need to develop rather than rushing them to market. Rodrigo uses natural fermentation; the wines are made without fining or filtration and with low levels of sulfur.
And even the name Espera has a lovely story behind it. In vineyard pruning, an espera is a secondary spur left behind to become a future fruit-bearing unit. But espera also means "wait" in Portuguese. That idea of patience became central to Rodrigo and Ana's philosophy: rather than making wine according to a predetermined timetable, they wait until each wine tells them it's ready to be shared.
Only 4,000 bottles of the 2024 Palheto were produced.
Aroma: Cherry · Pear · Wildflowers · Mineral · Spice
Palate: Dry · Light-bodied · Fresh · Bright acidity · Delicate tannin · Mineral finish
Pair with: Charcuterie · Grilled sardines · Roast chicken · Pork · Tomato-based dishes · Soft cheeses
