Matosinhos, Portugal. Operating since 1920. The Pinhais factory runs 37 handmade steps from catch to tin: hand-gutted, fried, cooled, packed. The same hands that produce the standard tins also produce some of the most collectable sardines in the world.
They run two labels. Pinhais is the premium tier: larger fish, more presence in the tin, clean refined oil. NURI is the retro label, in production since 1935. The packaging is widely recognised in Portugal and the sardines age well in the tin.
The RESERVA line, vintage-dated and matured a minimum of 36 months, is what separates Pinhais from most producers. Released in limited quantities, each vintage is numbered. Analogous to a wine cellar. Buy them and leave them alone for a few years.