Manz Penedo Do Lexim 2016

The myth of Sisyphus is well known. A man punished by the gods for his deceit, doomed to spend his days pushing a boulder up a steep hill, only to watch it roll back down each time he got it to the top. What's less well known, the Greeks being fairly free with other people's stories, is that the original Sisyphus was Portuguese.

It is said that the huge limestone rock in the centre of the Mansz vineyards is the very boulder, serving as constant reminder to those making this delicate, complex red that perseverance is key. Each morning, workers embrace the stone with such gratitude and vigour they encrust themselves with limestone dust; and so, from their thankful hands, a compelling minerality is transferred to the wine.

Moving to the quiet village Cheleiros, Western Portugal in 2004, the Manz family very quickly fell in love with the charms of the place and the people.

Andre Manz was soon captivated by the wine-growing past of the region, its countryside and lost customs to the point that he decided to attempt to produce wines for their own personal consumption. He did this with the help and advice of local people and with such great success that his wines are now (thankfully) shared with the rest of the world.