Text José Silva

Arruda dos Vinhos region has allways been known for its wine production, with the vineyards scattered through the orography slightly mountainous, neighbour to other small regions also with a lot of vineyards as Sobral de Monte Agraço and Bucelas.

In the last years, production has developed towards a better quality and new producers appeared, some of those that only produced grapes and sold them, began to produce their own wines. But their were others that allways produced quality wines and they only modernized the vineyards and bought new equipment that allows a better control of grape production and latter, in the wine cellar, control wine evolution either in vats and casks, or in the bottles.

That´s what happens in Quinta de S. Sebastião, right in Arruda, today a modern producer, with very interesting wines, between whites and reds.

Also keeping a family tradition, a beautiful very old house, a riding school where they coach their own horses, used to travell through the region and a room where they keep some old wine collections, a little bit of their own wine-producing history, for rare journeys through other times, other traditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further back, the vineyards that climb up the hill, today with the quixotic company of those also modern energy production mills, that mould the landscape and identify modernity. And it was in this relaxed scenery that we sat down at a nice tasting room, to enjoy modern wines of this house, quietely.

We started by Quinta de S. Sebastião Branco 2013. With a pale yellow colour, crystal clear and misterious refined nose, fresh, slightly dry. Intense in the mouth, good volume, showing very fresh mineral notes, very good acidity, well-balanced wine with beautiful final.

It was followed by Quinta de S. Sebastião white cercial 2012, with a medium yellow colour, crystal clear. It is dry and fresh in the nose, with slight honey notes, intense, quite exotic. Still very fresh in the mouth, intense acidity that gives it some balance, white fruit notes and some citric. Very well integrated wood, showing refinement and a long final, in a very gastronomic white wine.

Then we passed to the red wines, with Quinta de S. Sebastião Colheita 2012, that showed red grenat colour, very dark and closed, very smooth and refined in the nose, good red fruit notes, some smoke, spicy. In the mouth it has got very good acidity, very present, its dry, deep, very refined black fruit notes, slight black chocolate notes and persistent medium final.

Then it was Quinta de S. Sebastião Reserva 2012, with intense grenat colur, dark. Austere and elegantly sober in the nose, chocolate and black fruit notes. It presents an excellent acidity in the mouth, it has got volume, freshness, depth, a permanent discover of tastes, with powerful tanins but at the same time refined, haughty, a long final for a wonderful wine.

At last Quinta de S. Sebastião Touriga Nacional 2012 was presented at the tasting, a very interesting one grape variety wine, showing that this ecletic grape has got a great adaptation power to other kind of soil and climate, having a great perfomence. Violaceous red colour, intense, dark, it has got beautiful floral in the nose, thin and refined, with some chocolate notes, slightly spiced.

It is round in the mouth, great volume and acidity, tanins very much present, still to be tamed, very matured black fruit notes, even some chocolate and black tee, a restless wine with great final.

A good surprise the consistency of theese wines, at a proucer that promises to keep this quality, having got the power to go even further.
In Arruda dos Vinhos…

Contacts
Quinta de São Sebastião
Rua de S. Sebastião, nº 9
2630-180 Arruda dos Vinhos
Tel: (+351) 263 978 549
Mobile: (+3351)914 222 465
Email: geral@quintassebastiao.com
Site: www.quintassebastiao.com