Portugal · Bairrada

Caves Primavera

Caves Primavera began in 1944 as Vinícola Primavera, founded by Lucénio and Vital de Almeida in Aguada de Baixo. Its range spans Dão, Bairrada, Douro and Vinho Verde, with Dão Casal Mor 2022 as a Touriga Nacional-led red fermented in stainless-steel tanks and aged in American oak.

The producer

Caves Primavera began in 1944 as Vinícola Primavera, founded by brothers Lucénio and Vital de Almeida in the centre of Aguada de Baixo. The first facilities had no cellar, and the headquarters stood about 800 metres from the present address at Rua das Caves 15. In 1954, the new premises supplied a cellar and brought sparkling wines and liqueurs into production and sales. The business then took the Caves Primavera name. Cellar enlargement and process automation followed in the 1970s, equipment modernization in the 1980s, and a winemaking centre in the 1990s.

The portfolio covers Dão, Bairrada, Douro and Vinho Verde. Reported varieties include Baga, Bical, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Maria Gomes, Arinto and Syrah. The winemaking centre handles Bairrada and Beiras wines, with harvest between September and October. Dão Casal Mor 2022 combines 50% Touriga Nacional with Jaen and Alfrocheiro Preto. It fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks and aged for one year in American oak. Plum, blueberry and violet meet bay leaf, fresh herbs, vanilla and oak character. Primavera Branco Bairrada provides a white counterpart made from Bical and Maria Gomes, with citrus, tropical-fruit and mineral notes and a long, harmonious finish.

Known for

A multi-region Portuguese range shaped by decades of cellar expansion, with Dão Casal Mor 2022 as a 50% Touriga Nacional blend with Jaen and Alfrocheiro Preto, fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks and aged for one year in American oak.

Notable facts

The story

The cellar that changed the name

In 1944, brothers Lucénio and Vital de Almeida opened a wine business called Vinícola Primavera in the centre of Aguada de Baixo. The first facilities had no cellar, and the headquarters stood about 800 metres from the site used today. In 1954, the present premises were inaugurated. The new cellar allowed sparkling wines and liqueurs to enter production and sales, and the business took the name Caves Primavera. Sparkling wine production began by the traditional method. The premises now stand at Rua das Caves 15 in Aguada de Baixo, Águeda.

The cellar that changed the name

In 1944, brothers Lucénio and Vital de Almeida opened a wine business called Vinícola Primavera in the centre of Aguada de Baixo. The first facilities had no cellar, and the headquarters stood about 800 metres from the site used today. In 1954, the present premises were inaugurated. The new cellar allowed sparkling wines and liqueurs to enter production and sales, and the business took the name Caves Primavera. Sparkling wine production began by the traditional method. The premises now stand at Rua das Caves 15 in Aguada de Baixo, Águeda.

From the atlas

Caves Primavera

At A Glance

The Producer

Caves Primavera began in 1944 as Vinícola Primavera, a cellar-less business founded by brothers Lucénio and Vital de Almeida in Aguada de Baixo. The company's current address is still in the same locality, at Rua das Caves 15 in Águeda. Its wines come from Dão, Bairrada, Douro and Vinho Verde. Aguada de Baixo is the company's location, not a Dão village or appellation. Dão is the regional name on Dão Casal Mor 2022, while Bairrada appears on Primavera Branco. The red is led by Touriga Nacional, with Jaen and Alfrocheiro Preto making up the rest of the blend. The name Caves Primavera dates from 1954, when the business acquired a cellar and began making sparkling wines and liqueurs.

Place

The labels place the wines in Dão and Bairrada. Dão is attached to Casal Mor, while Bairrada is attached to the Primavera white. Douro and Vinho Verde are also part of the company's product scope, so the range extends beyond Aguada de Baixo. The winemaking centre handles Bairrada and Beiras wines, with harvest between September and October. The range follows Portuguese wine regions and styles rather than one named vineyard. These bottles carry no named village, appellation, slope or altitude. Grape composition and cellar work provide the clearest physical detail.

Soil And Site

The labels remain at regional level. They give no soil, altitude, slope, exposure or vineyard-ownership detail. Caves Primavera's physical site is the cellar, a covered 10,000-square-metre facility with technologically advanced equipment. A winemaking centre built during the 1990s handles Bairrada and Beiras wines. Harvest comes in between September and October. The site supports regional handling under one roof, rather than a claimed taste from one parcel.

Story

Caves Primavera began without a cellar and expanded its wine-handling capacity in stages. During the 1970s, cellar enlargement and automation increased production capacity. Equipment and facilities were modernized in the 1980s. In the 1990s, investment in a winemaking centre brought Bairrada and Beiras production into a dedicated facility. The annual harvest arrives from September to October. Certification followed in 1999, when the company obtained ISO 9001, now held to the 2015 version. Nearly 40 percent of sales are exports. The company grew from two brothers working without a cellar into a regional operation with the equipment and cellar space to send Portuguese wines beyond Portugal.

Vineyards And Cellar

No farming method, irrigation, soil management, ownership or harvest-selection practice is named for Caves Primavera. The cellar information is more specific. The 1990s winemaking centre handles Bairrada and Beiras wines, and the harvest arrives between September and October. Dão Casal Mor 2022 fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks and then spent one year in American oak. These steps separate temperature-managed fermentation from wood ageing. The bottle combines fruit and spice with oak character, vanilla, bay leaf and fresh herbs.

Wines

Caves Primavera's range covers Dão, Bairrada, Douro and Vinho Verde. The grape varieties associated with it are Baga, Bical, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Maria Gomes, Arinto and Syrah. The labels cover red, white and sparkling wines. Liqueurs are also part of the production history.

Dão Casal Mor 2022 is the named red. It contains 50% Touriga Nacional. Jaen and Alfrocheiro Preto make up the remaining half. Its taste is spicy and fruity, with plum, violet, blueberry, bay leaf, fresh herbs, vanilla and oak character. The blend and one year in American oak give the bottle a clear place in the range as a Dão red with fruit, floral notes, herbal notes and wood.

Primavera Branco Bairrada is made from Bical and Maria Gomes. It has a floral citrus and tropical-fruit aroma, a fresh, fruity palate with intense tropical and mineral notes, and a long, harmonious finish. The regional range also includes sparkling wine, which entered production alongside liqueurs in 1954.

In The Glass

Primavera Branco Bairrada opens with floral aromas around citrus, followed by tropical fruit. The palate is fresh and fruity, with intense tropical and mineral notes that continue through to a long, harmonious finish. The wine keeps its citrus and tropical character from aroma through the finish.

Dão Casal Mor shows plum, blueberry and violet first. Bay leaf and fresh herbs follow across the palate. Oak character and vanilla remain at the close. Temperature-controlled steel fermentation and one year in American oak are the two cellar steps behind this sequence, from fruit to green herbal notes and then vanilla.

A Bottle To Understand It

Begin with Dão Casal Mor 2022. It is a Dão red made from 50% Touriga Nacional, with Jaen and Alfrocheiro Preto making up the remaining 50%. It fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel and aged for one year in American oak. Plum, blueberry and violet lead the glass. Bay leaf and fresh herbs follow, with oak character and vanilla at the finish. This bottle brings together Caves Primavera's Dão label, grape blend and cellar choices. The white and sparkling styles can be compared afterwards.

Anecdote

In 1944, Lucénio and Vital de Almeida started Vinícola Primavera in the centre of Aguada de Baixo. The first facilities had no cellar. Their headquarters stood about 800 metres from the premises used today. In 1954, the present facilities were inaugurated. The operation then had a cellar, and sparkling wines and liqueurs entered production and sales. The move also changed the name from Vinícola Primavera to Caves Primavera. The first sparkling wines made by the traditional method left the new cellar that year.

Final Word

Caves Primavera began without a cellar in 1944 and later added new premises, automation, modern equipment and a 1990s winemaking centre. Its regional range includes Dão, Bairrada, Douro and Vinho Verde. Dão Casal Mor 2022 is made from Touriga Nacional, Jaen and Alfrocheiro Preto. It uses stainless-steel fermentation and one year in American oak, with plum, violet, blueberry, herbs and vanilla in the glass. Primavera Branco Bairrada is made from Bical and Maria Gomes, with citrus, tropical fruit, mineral notes and a long, harmonious finish.

Sources

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