Paulo Neves and Quinta das Marias: unforgettable wine labels to democratize art

1,200 original labels, painted and signed by one of the great names in contemporary sculpture, stand out as genuine collector’s pieces accompanying a distinguished Touriga-Nacional Reserva 2020.

Paulo Neves, one of the great names in national and international contemporary sculpture, partnered with Quinta das Marias to present true collector’s pieces transformed into 1,200 personalized labels on bottles of a limited edition of Touriga-Nacional Reserva 2020 from the Dão producer.

The sculptor developed an innovative concept in the panorama of Portuguese wines and took on the demanding challenge of spending the past months by the fire painting and signing over a thousand labels, all different from each other and detachable from the bottles, each constituting an original of incalculable value.

The engravings represent a Touriga-Nacional leaf and are presented on 285-gram Wild cotton paper, with high relief in dry. The watercolour intervention promotes the originality of the pieces, accentuated by variations of the entire colour palette.

With a retail price (PVP) of 80 euros, the limited edition comes with an individual box made of black micro-fluted cardboard, serving a double purpose: the traditional sharing of the wine with friends or family and the preservation for posterity of a work by Paulo Neves, standing as a manifesto for the democratization of art, accessible to the general public.

“I had this idea because I think it’s a waste that labels, usually the result of careful work, end up in the trash. Thus, each bottle has a label glued at the tips and detachable via two side perforations, to be kept as a work of art. They can be stored, framed, and made into a painting with labels, or whatever they want, because they are all different from each other and manually signed. I’ve never done something like this; it took more work than I expected, but I’m happy with the result,” explains Paulo Neves.

The project was presented to Peter Eckert, a friend and owner of Quinta das Marias, located in Oliveira do Conde (Carregal do Sal). The Swiss man, who has been producing wines in the heart of Dão since the 1990s, immediately embraced the initiative and chose the distinguished Touriga-Nacional Reserva 2020, from the producer’s main grape variety, to accompany the labels.

“Interestingly, this wine is the result of the first vineyard we planted when my wife Elisabeth and I acquired the property, which at the time was limited to four hectares of abandoned land and a house almost in ruins, in 1991. More than three decades later, with Quinta das Marias established as a reference producer in Dão, it makes perfect sense for this wine to accompany Paulo Neves’ artistic labels, in a limited edition that is truly unique in Portugal,” emphasizes Peter Eckert.

The Touriga-Nacional Reserva 2020 comes from manual harvesting, carried out in September of that year. Subsequently, the grapes were destemmed, and fermentation and maceration were performed in tanks, before 14 months of ageing in French oak barrels (10% new barrels, 90% second use).

The wine presents a discreet violet tone, highlighting the freshness and intensity of bergamot and liquorice. On the palate, it is enveloping, with acidity and long persistence with solid tannins, evidencing great ageing potential.

“Quinta das Marias has always been known for the quality of its Touriga-Nacional and Encruzado grape varieties. When I started my work in 2018, the focus was to study a parcel that gave rise to an excellent Touriga-Nacional but needed consistency. With the developed work, we managed to ensure the same superior quality of wine in all harvests, fully exploiting that plot and reinforcing the reputation of Quinta as one of the best Touriga-Nacional producers in Dão,” argues winemaker Luís Lopes.

The limited edition of the wine with Paulo Neves’ personalized labels comes in a high-quality individual box, cut in one of the corners to allow visibility of the artwork. The combination of two boxes allows for the full contemplation of the Touriga-Nacional engraving.

The box was produced by Cartonagem Trindade, a company from São João da Madeira that manufactures materials for luxury brands such as Dior, Burberry, or Kenzo. “What brought us together were the Marias. When Paulo Neves talked about a project for Quinta das Marias, I immediately wanted to get involved and make the boxes because Maria is the name of my mother, the founder of the company, as well as the name of Paulo Neves’ mother,” says Pedro Ventura, the company’s director.

In fact, Peter Eckert named the property in Oliveira do Conde Quinta das Marias because his wife, Elisabeth, and their three daughters – Ester, Isabel, and Julia – have Maria in their names. Now, for this special project, he found established partners who share an emotional connection with the brand created in the early 1990s.

The limited edition of Touriga-Nacional Reserva 2020 with labels by Paulo Neves is available for sale on the official website and in the store of Quinta das Marias, in Oliveira do Conde.

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