Touriga Francesa is one of the major grape varieties used to produce port wine. Touriga Francesa is lighter and more perfumed than Touriga Nacional, adding finesse to the wine. Touriga Francesa has been described by Jancis Robinson as playing “Cabernet Franc to Touriga Nacional’s Cabernet Sauvignon”.
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Casa Ferreirinha, was acquired by Sogrape Vinhos in 1987, its wines are synonymous with time and art. This has happened since its foundation, in the 18th century, by the hand of Bernardo Ferreira, who saw the formula refined by his descendants, especially by his granddaughter Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, who affectionately became known as "Ferreirinha" or "Ferreirinha-da-Régua" for the people of that land. Through the hands of Dona Antónia, who twice widowed herself at the head of a large company, Ferreira consolidated itself admirably. Her entrepreneurial spirit taught her to foresee, decide, create, teach and love, making her a figure of great projection and charisma. Barca Velha is the result of the passion of Fernando Nicolau de Almeida (Casa Ferreirinha Head Winemaker in 1952), who envisioned a high quality Douro Red Wines made with the aging potential of Vintage Ports. The first harvest was 1952. Barca Velha is only released in exceptional years, current head winemaker Luis Sottomayor began his career at this house as an apprentice learning directly from Fernando Nicolau D'Almeida. ''2011 was an extraordinary year-one of the best ever in Douro-Intense and exceptional quality. When this wine was born, we soon realized that it would be destined for Barca-Velha”. But even so, it was necessary to pass the great test of time with distinction. In the barrels, first, and then in the bottle, it was followed and evaluated over nine years, until the final decision was made. -
Niepoort is a family business dating back to 1842. Its winemaking tradition began in the Douro region, with the roduction of Port wine. Nowadays has a foothold in all the major Portuguese regions with still wines production outside the Douro Valley. Know-how, enthusiasm and an innovative mindset have passed down from generation to generation, making Niepoort one of the most authentic and notable Portuguese wine producers. The grapes to produce this wine come from Quinta do Carril, from a north-facing vineyard with more than 70 years, and also from old vineyards about 100 years old near Quinta de Nápoles. Niepoort sums up this elegant bottling well by saying “Batuta is a wine of extremes, having more of everything, is at the same time, the one with a more discrete behavior.” Quite so this year (and most), as the wine opens with subtlety and elegance, seeming rather mute. It is somewhat tinged by oak early in its life. That will be easily absorbed. It takes some air and patience to see what this sometimes too subtle wine has, but there is good structure underneath (and a little tannic pop that emerges with air) that should allow the wine to develop well and have the time to acquire some complexity, which is often its best feature. It has a very Burgundian feel, with a silky, graceful mid-palate. There is nothing obvious about this bottling in any year. This year, certainly, it is a Batuta that is perhaps subtle to a fault, but it will be a perfect food wine and when you are drinking it you will suddenly realize how much you like it.'' Time will tell, definitely one of the great current masters of winemaking. Not just in Portugal but in the world -
Is with wines like this one that you start uncovering the great potential of Douro wines. 'Castas Escondidas' translates as 'hidden varieties' and showcases old-vines, field-blend fruit and some of the lesser known grape varieties of the Douro Valley. What makes this drop a superior wine is not only the great quality of the terroir, region characteristics, the field blend vines used but most importantly the high intervention from skilled winemakers producing this wine. With all of these movements happening which by all means are fantastic such as natural wines, low intervention and so on, memories can be short and people will have some tendency to forget that winemakers spent hundreds of years studying the production of wine going by the scientific name of oenology and therefore they are oenologists with the main purpose being interventionists in every single process of the wine production!!! oh dear, I feel I am opening a can of worms here... As the magician himself describes “Casa Ferreirinha Castas Escondidas was designed to stage the varieties commonly used in batches of Port Wine, but rarely explored and which result in a perfect combination with other more well-known varieties” , says Luís Sottomayor, the winemaker responsible for Sogrape wines in the Douro. . “The small percentage of grapes harvested from old vines gives even more special characteristics to the final batch” Great with for special occasions, quality red meats and cheeses. Be responsible and drink this wine moderately as it is one of a kind -
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Quinta Do Crasto is a winery dating back more than a century, and owned by the family of Leonor and Jorge Roquette. The name comes from the Latin “castrum” which means “Roman fortress”. The Roquette are the fourth generation of the family and they don’t just make still wines, they also produce fortified Port wines and extra virgin olive oil from their 130 hectares of land lying at almost 600 metres of altitude and forming part of the extraordinary Douro Valley landscape. A versatile red that makes the perfect transition from main course to cheese. On its own? Why not -
Dow’s is owned and managed by the fourth generation of the Symington family, Port producers since the 19th Century. The family, whose experience dates back over 100 years, supervises all the vineyards, winemaking and ageing of this wine. Dow’s owns two of the Douro’s finest Quintas, Senhora da Ribeira and Bomfim. They were acquired in 1890 and 1896, making Dow’s one of the first houses to invest in premium vineyards. Nirvana is a special Port made to complement chocolate. Port pairs wonderfully with many foods, but few as perfectly and pleasurably as chocolate. Dow’s wine making team set out together with the help of ‘The Flanders Taste Foundation’ in Belgium to craft a Port that would provide the ultimate match for chocolate. After a series of tastings supported by scientific analysis to identify the key flavour components of both Port and Dark Chocolate the blend was refined accentuating the floral aromas and the tannic structure o -
Kopke, a house specialising in aged tawny and aged white ports, is the oldest established port producer, in existence since 1638. There are special places in the world. Kopke found one of them. Quinta de São Luiz is located on the left bank of the river Douro, near Pinhão, in the parish of Tabuaço. It is an imposing estate, considered one of the most emblematic of the Douro region. The Quinta has gone through two major changes: on the one hand, the construction of the Bagaúste dam, with the consequent rise of the water level and the loss of vineyard land; on the other, the enlargement of the total area with the acquisition of several other properties in the area. The estate is made up of 125 hectares, 90 of which are planted with vines. The main grape varieties grown here are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cão. There are also small plots of Tinta Barroca and Souzão. The vines are classified as A, the highest grade in the Demarcated Region of the Douro. Irresistible with a starter of foie gras with aubergine and walnuts. A great choice for an endless array of desserts, such as toffee brownies, chocolate and pistachio pavé, or crostini of walnuts with chèvre. When teh weather picks up or the height of the Summer, serving this Port slightly chilly is a must. -
There are special places in the world. Kopke found one of them. Quinta de São Luiz is located on the left bank of the river Douro, near Pinhão, in the parish of Tabuaço. It is an imposing estate, considered one of the most emblematic of the Douro region. The Quinta has gone through two major changes: on the one hand, the construction of the Bagaúste dam, with the consequent rise of the water level and the loss of vineyard land; on the other, the enlargement of the total area with the acquisition of several other properties in the area. The estate is made up of 125 hectares, 90 of which are planted with vines. The main grape varieties grown here are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cão. There are also small plots of Tinta Barroca and Souzão. The vines are classified as A, the highest grade in the Demarcated Region of the Douro. -
The wine owes its name to the port city of Porto, but comes from the Douro Valley. Here you will find one of the most spectacular wine landscapes in the world with terraced vineyards on steep slopes. It is scorching hot in summer, freezing cold in winter. The Douro Valley was already demarcated in 1756, making it the oldest regulated area of origin in the world. Port itself is a fortified wine. By interrupting the fermentation by adding wine alcohol, the wine retains its residual sugars and also gets its relatively high alcohol percentage. Port does not stand for a single wine, but for a whole series of wines. Wines with very different styles and tastes due to differences in the blending and aging of the base wines. In 1636 Nicolau Kopkë settled in Portugal as 'consul general' (a kind of representative) of the Hanseatic League, a partnership between merchants and cities, during the Middle Ages. Two years later, the first bottles of wine were shipped to Northern Europe. And when Nicolau bought a farm in the Douro in 1781, he changed from buyer to producer. Port wine soon became the focus of the company. Kpke now is one of the oldest Port Wine House. Recognized by the variety and distinction of its Ports, Kopke represents in XXI century a symbol of quality and prestige. LBV stands for Late Bottle Vintage and is the result of single year's harvest of superior quality, aged in oak Vats. Balancing the intensity of flavours, the Late Bottled Vintage Port is the ideal choice to serve with main courses of meat, like filet mignon encrusted four peppers and veal cutlet with Bérnaise sauce. Its versatility knows no borders, being perfect to combine with an exuberant cheesecake of chocolate mint, a pear and chocolate mille-feuille or simply to enjoy with cheeses of medium intensity. -
Quinta do Vale Meao Meandro Tinto is a Douro red wine made by one of the most famous wine estates of the Douro, if not the world. The estate was Bought and established by that legendary lady of Port, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, in the early 19th Century, it has been the stage for many pioneering feats of winemaking and viticulture in the Douro. Currently Quinta do Vale Meao is still in family hands, with descendant Francisco Xavier Olazabal (Vito), his winemaker son Francisco (Xito) and daughter Luísa all devoted to the cause. This humorous and relaxed team has, since they started making wine at the quinta in 1999, pushed the boundaries of excellence in Douro reds beyond what was imaginable. The vineyards are perched on the Douro River’s most dramatic meander (hence “Meandro”) and consist of some 70 hectares of vines planted on schist, granite and alluvial soils. The vines planted are the usual suspects for the Douro, Touriga Naçional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Barroca, Tinto Câo however they are block planted which ultimately allows more control over the blend (it is common practice in the Douro for the different grape varieties to be planted mixed up). The vineyards are adjacent to a fantastic granite mansion and winery. Quinta do Vale Meao Meandro is the “second” wine but shares a lot of the characteristics of its big brother, the Quinta do Vale Meao, but manages to reveal a character of its own. It is not an ordinary second wine by any means. Quinta do Vale Meao Meandro Tinto 2015 is a blend of 40% Touriga Nacional, 35% Touriga Franca, 16% Tinta Roriz, 5% Tinta Barroca, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 2% Tinta Amarela. The grapes are harvested by hand, cooled down and then trodden in granite lagares, then transferred to stainless steel for vinification, by individual variety, before ageing in 2nd and 3rd year 225L French Allier oak barriques. It is a fruity and spicy wine with real Douro character. -
Another excellent wine from Niepoort. Charme is all about elegance and balance, achieved by taking special attention to the smallest details during the entire wine-making process. Made in traditional stone lagares with 100% grape stems, Charme’s elegance is achieved using grapes from very old vineyards in Vale de Mendiz, on the banks of the Pinhão river. Pair it with mushrooms and game dishes, such as partridge or pheasant -
Aromatically very complex, it presents strong sensations of red fruits, jam and vanilla. Equally complex in the tasting, it evolutes to smooth velvety notes of red and ripe fruits, chocolate and oak ageing. Persistent and well-balanced aftertaste with tannins that evidence the structure of the wine and its longevity. Enjoy the Palha-Canas Tinto with hearty dishes from pork and beef, lamb and game. In addition, the wine goes perfectly with soft and hard cheese. You would have to stand on the terrace of the estate to understand why it is called Boavista (“fine view”). Your gaze would naturally wander over the vineyards which slope down into the valley in front of the house and then meet two hills on the opposite side where the lines of vines form an exciting geometrical pattern. It is a fine view indeed, this sight of the vineyards of Boavista. The Quinta de Boavista is situated right in the middle of the hills of the Estremadura wine-growing region, about fifty kilometres north of Lisbon. The close proximity of the nearby ocean provides for humidity and wind. The soil composition is a sandy clay. It is full of fossilized ocean deposits and right in front of the estate big petrified bones of a saurian were found which now adorn the terrace. The land has been owned for generations by the family of José Luis Oliveira da Silva. He is a banker by profession. For some years now he has focussed on wine-growing. He modernised the wine cellar, bought new barrels and recruited an able oenologist. He was among the first in Portugal who produced varietal wines from autochthonous grapes. The results are very exciting. The white Fernao Pires is a wine with attractive fruit aromas and with a distinct mineral note, the red Castelao and the red Tinta Roriz are wines that have concentration and a complex personality. This new generation of Portuguese wines gives you offhand inspiration. -
With bright and attractive colors, Papa Figos is one of the rarest birds in the Douro. The unique and rare character of this bird is the perfect inspiration for this magnificent red wine from Casa Ferreirinha. Papa Figos is an elegant and vibrant wine, classic but modern, which reflects the values of Casa Ferreirinha, the house with the longest tradition in the production of quality Douro wines and one of the biggest references in this region in the world. Viticultural Year: Dry and cold winter. In spring, except for the month of April, precipitation values were below the climatological normal and temperatures were mild, which allowed for budbreak in good conditions. In summer, temperatures were mild, without major heat peaks, with some episodes of precipitation, which favored a long and balanced maturation end, allowing the production of high quality wines. Ideal to accompany meat dishes. Being a very gastronomic wine, it can also accompany white meats or oven-roasted fish -
The Quinta of Vesúvio has a long and history. António Bernardo Ferreira bought the property in 1823, at that time called Quinta das Figueiras. The property was mostly covered with wild scrub stretching up the mountainside and an abundance of fig trees, which gave it its name. He felt that this property had enormous potential as vineyards. It took his team of five hundred workers thirteen years to carve terraces out of the steep slopes and plant thousands of vines. In 1827, Ferreira built the winery, with its eight granite lagares (large, open vats or troughs), in which wine grapes are crushed by foot to this day, and eight chestnut vats, each capable of holding the equivalent of one lagar of Port. This original winery is where all of Vesúvio’s Port is still made. The Quinta do Vesuvio been in the Symington family since 1989 and it totals about 326 hectares, of which 133 are planted with vines. This is Vesúvio’s second-tier wine and its is named after the estate’s dovecote, a structure intended to house pigeons or doves, or “pombal” in Portuguese, which is surrounded by vineyards. Unlike the first-tier fruit, the grapes are transported to the Quinta do Sol winery for processing and fermentation. The contrast between the property's quotas provides the wines with unparalleled structure, complexity and aging potential, as well as the preservation of traditional wine production methods, which highlight Quinta do Vesuvio as the only one that actively continues to create its wines with this base. A Quinta of enchanting and memorable beauty, worth the visit but with outstanding wines. -
A Vintage Port is only declared in years of exceptional quality. Quinta do Vesuvio is arguably the most magnificent estate in the Douro valley. Located in the beautiful and austere Port-growing region of the Upper Douro valley, its history dates back to the 16th Century. “The quinta of all quintas – one of the wonders of the world”. At Vesuvio, the work of man and the work of nature achieve a perfect and enduring harmony. More than anywhere else in the Douro it has a haunting and enchanting beauty; when you leave it, you take with you a sense of the place that does not fade with time. Quinta do Vesuvio 2016 will surely make any lunch or dinner a memorable one. It is a fabulous accompaniment to chocolate desserts, such as chocolate pudding, but can also be enjoyed on its own - it is an experience in itself. -
F. Olazabal & Filhos is a Portuguese winery with 62 hectares located in the town of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, in one of the most prestigious areas of the Douro. The Olazabal family, proud owners and descendants of the founder, Antonia Adelaide Ferreira, are now writing a significant chapter for this iconic estate and the region. Since 1998, Xito Olazabal has been working hard to understand the estate’s complex palette of grapes and terroirs and with his growing experience, skill, and attention to detail, the best out of the estate-grown grapes planted by soil type – alluvial, granite, and schist – are all fermented and aged separately. The resultant wines are then blended together, with different proportions each year, to best represent the estate’s overall terroir and each vintage’s individual character. For a more detail on the history of this amazing Quinta and the role it played in the Douro history Quinta Vale Meão-Portugal - Click Here -
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Quinta do Vallado, established in 1716, is one of the oldest and most famous Quintas in the Douro Valley. It once belonged to the legendary Dona Antonia Adelaide Ferreira, and still belongs to her descendents. Produces both still and port wines. This eighteenth-century Douro wine estate is actually one of the most modern-looking in Portugal. Although the team uses the traditional panoply of indigenous grapes, its methods are bang up to date and the results are nothing short of sensational. Tawny ports are wines usually made from red grapes that are aged in wooden barrels exposing them to gradual oxidation and evaporation. As a result of this oxidation, they mellow to a golden-brown color. The exposure to oxygen imparts "nutty" flavours to the wine, which is blended to match the house style. This port is really best enjoyed with a good strong cheese board. Think mature hard cheeses and salty blues. Rich and flavoursome to match with the intense flavours of the port. -
When Dirk Niepoort started with the vinification of this wine, he had several big amphoras prepared. He became so proud of the wine's development and made everybody so curious about his new wine that he invited a few people to taste it.…but because of this, the wines got destroyed. The wine got too much air and sadly he had to throw it all away. He started all over again, with one part red and one part white – but this time nobody was allowed to taste it before it was ready. Nothing was opened, the visitors were only allowed to observe… that's where the name "Voyeur" came from. When it was finished, he tasted the wines and they where both so amazingly delicious, that he could not decide which one was his favorite so he radically mixed them into one. Dirk Niepoort is a 5th generation winemaker and still today it is an independent business with great ports and wines under their name. Not sure if it was the Dutch side of him but he had the guts to do it and it worked! Voyeur is a wine of expression. It is not concerned with individual grape varieties or specific vineyards, but more establishing what it is possible to do in the Douro. Voyeur 2018 is a light, vibrant ruby red with some orange and brick red tones. Its exuberant and floral bouquet combines aromas of red fruit such as redcurrant and raspberry with an earthiness typical for wines fermented and matured in clay. The palate is elegant, with vibrant and fine-grained tannins noticeable on the mid-palate, ensuring that the fresh fruit character persists deep into the light and moreish finish typical of a low-alcohol wine. We will hear more about this wine in the near future as it is changing ways of thinking in the industry. Comes in 1 Liter bottle. Enjoy it! -
This is Warre's new take on Tawny Port's with a new generation of Port enthusiasts that are young and prefer to drink Port all year round rather than just in Christmas. With Portugal being a hot country, this elegant Tawny colour invites been served chilled in a hot summer day. Warre's Otima 10 Year-Old-Tawny balances the generosity of fresh, youthful fruit with the sophistication and elegance that a decade in seasoned wood brings to the wines. The Port displays amplitude, combining fruit-driven volume with the seductive mellowness and delicacy of wood aging. Does not need decanting. The wine is ready to drink when bottled, but will maintain its quality in bottle. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature. Superb with cheese, nuts or dried fruit after a meal or on its own. -
Warre’s launch of Otima 10 & 20 Year Old Tawny caused a revolution in Port that introduced a completely new concept to consumers, helping to rejuvenate Port’s image in the main markets. Otima is now widely acknowledged as the most successful new development in the Port trade for over 25 years. The merit of Otima was to show Port’s versatility as an all year round, anytime drink, dispelling many of the myths attached to Port. Serve it chilled and pair it with the stinkish cheeses you most fancy -
This great wine is from Luis Seabra, former Head winemaker at Niepoort. He focus his winemaking on the distinct soil types in the Douro valley with minimal intervention. Fresh, mineral driven red that showcases the purity of fruit achievable in the Douro valley. Pair with roast game or poultry, or ratatouille.
