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CARM - Casa Agrícola Roboredo Madeira | Douro

The Roboredo Madeira family has documented activities in the region dating back to the mid-17th century, concentrated around the village of Almendra in the rugged, remote Douro Superior — where the Douro River flows into Portugal and the oldest delineated wine region in the world begins. For centuries, however, the company did not revolve around winemaking, but around cultivating olives, almonds, and grapes — the latter were simply sold to third parties, including the renowned Casa Ferreirinha, while the olives went to a cooperative.
 
It was not until the 1990s that the company took a new direction. In 1996, their first press (lagar) was opened, and actual wine production started in 1999, initially still with vinification at third-party facilities, until their own winery was completed in 2004. A family member, Filipe Roboredo Madeira, once aptly summarized that transformation: no one had ever done anything with the vineyards; they were mainly used for hunting. It was only with the combined craftsmanship already built up around olive oil production that the true passion for wine emerged. What distinguishes CARM from many other Douro houses is their early and consistent commitment to sustainability: all their wines and olive oil come exclusively from their own olive trees and vines, spread across some 220 hectares of olive groves and 60-125 hectares of vineyards around Almendra, in the heart of the Côa Valley Archaeological Reserve, not far from the Spanish border. The company is regarded in Portugal as a pioneer of organic farming and, moreover, protects endangered species such as the golden eagle and the osprey that live on their estates.
 
Unlike Calém, which was sold to a large group in 1998, CARM remains entirely in the hands of the founding family to this day. They divide their wines into various lines — including CARM, Vinha da Urze, Vinha do Bispado, Almendra, and Marquês de Almeida — and now produce around 18 different cuvées, ranging from crisp, mineral white Douro wines to powerful red blends.
 
The wines — an exponent of the Douro Superior — from this charming winery are listed in Wine Spectator's top 10 best wines.

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