This is about as pale as a red wine gets before it geta put on the rosé shelf! It’s made from the Tinta Negra grape, grown on the island of Madeira and is not a wine for fans of punchy, full-bodied reds, it’s all about delicacy and subtle expression, but there is room for both in the world of wine, just as there is room for oil painting and watercolour in the world of art. It has gentle notes of cherry blossom, wild strawberries, pink grapefruit and dried flowers, with a palate that is fresh and sweetly succulent with a wispy smokiness that refers back to its volcanic soils. 10% alc. 40-year-old vines. 30% whole bunch. Aged 8 months in used French oak barrels. Drink now-2034.

Press review:

The Wine Advocate: “We did a vertical from 2021 to 2024 to see the evolution of the red, and the 2024 Tinta Negra dos Villões is the palest and most perfumed, very different from the others, with lower alcohol (only 10%) and very high malic acid (but it's not very lactic). It has notes of acid berries, wet basalt, black pepper, dry roses, a touch of soy sauce and a smoky twist, with a light- to medium-bodied palate and unnoticeable tannins. It's a variety from the family of Bastardo and Alfrocheiro. All vintages were different, and to me this is the finest one. Drink now-2030.” 93 points

JancisRobinson.com: “Light crimson colour and invitingly sweet-red-fruited: sultry and seductive alcoholic strawberries, a hint of smoke and stone dust to dampen any excess fruit sweetness, vibrant with red cherry. The tannins are perfectly matched to the tart but generous fruit: smooth, rounded and building to a firmer grip on the finish. Relatively gentle but sufficient. I am not aware of the stems (ie the effect of the whole bunch is subtle) but they bring a slightly woody/herbal note, which also counteracts the potential fruit sweetness. Taut, zesty, with intense freshness but also a sour-fresh bitter-cherry and red-fruit sweetness on the finish. Very long and layered. It feels like a tightrope walk between red-fruited seduction and a tensile framework of acidity and tannins.” 17.5 points