Everything started on a property bought by the brothers Pedro and Rui Patrício as a leisure place, in Estremoz.
Then a trip to Burgundy combined with an enormous passion for wine was the starting point for this project by Pedro Patrício that triggered the long-dormant dream: to produce high-quality wines in Portugal!
JÁ TE DISSE is a project that aims to replicate the greatness of Burgundy wines in Alentejo.
In 2015, Pedro Patrício, a Portuguese hospital manager decided to travel to Burgundy where he fell in love with the grapes, the fermentation, the harvest… with the whole winemaking process!
When he returned, he planted a one-hectare vineyard with 36 lines near Estremoz, which is located in the Alentejo wine region.
Estremoz is a renowned area of great Portuguese wines, with its unique terroir and microclimate. In summer the temperature reaches 45 C° and in winter -5 C°, which is excellent for grape maturation.
The choice fell on Alicante Bouchet, Syrah, and Petit Verdot grape varieties. His dream was of creating a boutique winery with small vineyards, producing wines in limited editions with limited bottles.
Pedro Patrício didn’t know the world of agriculture in-depth when he went to look for the Luso-French winemaker, Joachim Roque, who graduated in viticulture and enology in Bordeaux, France, having gained extensive international experiences in Côtes du Rhônes, Napa Valley, and Alentejo, among others. Joachim Roque believed in this project so he helped Pedro to transform his dream into a success story, with the production of premium wines with unique characteristics. He perceived, from day one, the potential of the terroir and the grape varieties that can differentiate the JÁ TE DISSE wines. Now Joachim Roque is responsible for all the viticulture and production of these wines.
The Dog and the Hunter
In addition to the use of a burgundy truncated cone-shaped bottle, these wines have labels designed by Siza Vieira, the greatest architect of all time in Portugal, and the star of the brand is Já Te Disse, grandfather Ramiro’s mongrel dog, who has always had a strong connection to the family.
The architect found the name of the wine immensely amusing, which refers to a family story: the grandfather of Pedro was passionate about hunting, accompanied by his dogs, including a daring mongrel with a split ear. When he showed up at home for the first time with this dog, the grandpa asked Pedro’s mother how he should name him, to which she replied with a mischievous air: JÁ TE DISSE. And so it stayed. Then, every time when someone asked the grandpa what the name of the mongrel was, he replied: JÁ TE DISSE, hiding his smile at what this situation provoked in others: “But what have you said?”
And Siza Vieira portrayed them on the labels he made, one with a dog and the other with a hunter.
“Less is More” is the expression that best defines this project, where the quality factor will always be a priority. If in any year the quality is not so good, the wine will not be bottled.
The harvest is completely manual and carried out at dawn so that the grapes arrive at the cellar with all their freshness preserved.
The wines were launched in 2021 and each bottle of wine is numbered and manually labeled.
The brand already contains a white wine as well, from the Viognier grape variety, which is purchased from a local producer.
And they also launched a rosé wine from the 2021 harvest, as a single edition.
Since they are very committed to the protection of the environment and sustainability, they use Amorim cork stoppers in the bottles. Amorim was always committed to sustainability, producing in a sustainable manner and based on a sustainable raw material – cork.
On the other hand, as part of their social responsibility, they joined the Portuguese Association for the Support of Women with Breast Cancer, the Food Bank Against Hunger, and the “Médecins du Monde” organization, which operated on the ground during the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria.
These wines, awarded by both national and international competitions, as well as by professional press are being served also by many restaurants with one and two Michelin stars.
Without a doubt, JÁ TE DISSE wines are excellent. Exclusive wines for the most demanding, with an artist label.
Photos credit: Já Te Disse
