Text José Silva | Translation Bruno Ferreira

Quinta de S. José owned by the Brito e Cunha’s family, descendant of D. Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, is located in one of the Douro’s most beautiful and iconic stretches, in the parish of Ervedosa, a sub-region where lie some of the most important estates in the Douro.

Which extends from the river’s edge till the the very top, over 1900 feet high. Own vineyards, of red grapes, totalling close to 25 acres. The white ones are bought, mostly at Murça and Meda.

Averaging a production of 46000 bottles, 2000 of which are Porto Vintage. The fields are characteristic, with schist. The old vines are abundant and, nowadays greatly disputed by producers eager to make classy, unique wines.

Quinta de S. José has recently opened a new, very modern winery which is located at the very top of the estate, applying to it advanced technologies and enough space to increase production.

Down there by the river, there is a modern wine shop, which also tells a bit about the Quinta’s and Region’s story, where wines are tasted and can also be bought.

Every year there are new harvests and new releases of wines, whites and reds, in a production that is distributed all over the country while also having the capacity to be exported to various parts of the world, with Brazil being one of the best markets.

On a recent visit we tasted the currently marketed harvests, starting with the Quinta de S. José Branco 2013, showing itself full of freshness, with a lot of tropical notes, exciting, with a balanced acidity, full of strength, a young wine with plenty of life.

Next, came the Branco Reserva 2013, very elegant, with ripe white fruit notes, fresh, creamy, nicely fruited, with a good mouth volume, full, persistent and secure.

We then proceeded to the reds, starting with the Quinta de S. José 2012, medium garnet, very clean, with red fruit notes in the nose, intense, young and fresh. Nice structure, presenting ripe red fruits in the mouth, secure and elegant tannins, good acidity to balance the set, with a long finish.

Followed, the Reserva 2012, dark garnet, very clean, with very ripe black fruit and some freshness in the nose. In the mouth showed itself with a pleasant volume, intense, with black plums and blackberries, nice acidity, already well tamed tannins, very elegant yet powerful, with a great ending.

Then came the Grande Reserva 2011, dark garnet, very clean, creamy, full of elegance, intense red fruits, soft vanilla notes, some floral, a perfume. Silky, velvety, with ripe black fruits, well balanced acidity, herbal hills fragrances, heather, very complex with a great final, a great wine.

And for a great ending, the Porto Vintage 2009, dark ruby, loaded, delicious nose, dark chocolate notes, blackberries and a bit floral. Vibrant acidity, amazing black fruits notes, dark chocolate, raisins and figs, slight balsamic, full of complexity, exotic and a very long ending, a beautiful vintage.

The wines were joined by a lot of delicious snacks.

This couple, who dedicated themselves to the life of this project with passion and good taste also explores a kind rural tourism, consisting of the main house where they live, and several small houses that resulted from the recovery of what were previously ruins, now providing all the comfort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are entangled among vines and with the river nearby, in a delightful set, of great beauty, along with a contagious quietness, all provided by nature.

A perfect place to spend a couple quiet days alongside the Douro.

Contacts
Quinta de S. José
5130-123 Ervedosa do Douro
Tel: (+351) 254 422 017
Mobile: (+351) 93 4041413 | (+351) 93 6500180
Email: Wines: joaobritoecunha@quintasjose.com | Tourism: sofiaprazeres@quintasjose.com
Site: www.quintasjose.com