Me & My Shadow: On The Road With Luís Sottomayor, Douro Harvest 2014

Text Sarah Ahmed

Each Douro harvest, Luís Sottomayor clocks up between 10,000 and 15,000 kilometres in two months driving back and forth between vineyards and wineries to assess the grapes and make wine. Hard work! But, for Sogrape’s Head Winemaker, it’s by far and away his favourite time of year. At the end of September I spent three days shadowing Sottomayor to find out about a life in the day of a Head Winemaker at vintage.

So what did I discover on our Vintage 2014 road trip? Well, for starters, let me say it came as no surprise when Sottomayor confided he would have pursued a career in the army had he not followed the family tradition and entered the wine business. The man has nerves of steel. Overseeing such a sizeable grape harvest is like a military campaign, even if it is your 26th vintage.

On the one hand, it calls for strategic thinking, especially forward planning. Sottomayor must first assess production demands for each and every one of the many Port and DOC Douro wine styles and brands (including Ferreira, Sandeman, Offley and Casa Ferreirinha). Then he must evaluate how those demands will be met, both by Sogrape’s 500 hectares of vineyards and by suppliers (of grapes and wine). A master-plan outlines what grapes will be picked, when and from where.

On the other hand, the vintage “campaign” requires quick reactions. Where there is no accounting for Mother Nature’s curve balls, it pays to be flexible. The 2014 vintage is a case in point. Although Sottomayor and his team review the harvest masterplan weekly from August, because rainfall was “intense”, harvest dates had to be rapidly revised and re-revised (with perhaps a 20% deviation from the original plan, reckons Sottomayor).

Where an army of people – between 200-300 – is required over the harvest period, top notch leadership skills are also critical. And Sottomayor, a.k.a. Mr Secateurs, is perfectly prepared to lead by example. The famously fastidious winemaker is photographed at Quinta do Caêdo discarding bunches affected by rot brought on by the rains. I half wondered if he was going to assume the role of drill instructor, roll his trousers up and jump into the lagares at Quinta do Seixo to supervise the foot-treading!

But I digress. Let’s start at the very beginning at Quinta do Porto in Sabrosa near Pinhão where we spent a damp, misty morning with the property’s dedicated viticulturist Vitorino tasting Tinta Roriz. The aim? To assess berry size (which will impact on production), when the grapes should be picked and where the fruit will end up – in Port or Douro wine and at what level of quality. For Sottomayor, although satellite imagery is used to help assess grape maturation, there is no substitute for visiting the vineyard to taste the grapes.

Lesson one is to avoid grapes from those rows which border the vineyards. The soil is richer and more productive here, which means that the grapes are unrepresentative. So we dive deeper into the vineyard where it’s fascinating to taste Tinta Roriz from two different parcels (areas). Sottomayor reckons the first will end up in basic wines or Ports while the second, which shows better structure and perfume, is destined for higher things. The first, will be fermented in vats and undergo a gentle extraction. As for the better quality fruit, “we’ll extract everything” says Sottomayor who, thanks to its mild conditions, rates 2014 for Tinta Roriz which he reckons only does well one year in every ten. It will be foot-trodden in lagares.

We also take our first look at Touriga Franca vines. Though he describes the variety as “normally the best friend of the winemaker,” the rain hasn’t been kind. As Sottomayor anticipated, there are the first signs of rot (Touriga Franca has relatively compact bunches so, when it rains heavily, grapes swell, push against each other and can split, allowing infection to take hold). A whiff of vinegar (oxidised grape juice) can give away the worst affected bunches, but Sottomayor looks beyond the surface and pulls bunches apart to check for signs of splitting or rot. He decides that the vineyard should be harvested quickly – in two days time.

Moving swiftly on, next we cross the river to visit Quinta do Vau and Quinta do Caêdo in Ervedosa do Douro where a team is hard at work harvesting the red-fleshed Sousão (hence the florid purple-stained boxes). As we walk through the vineyard Sottomayor discards a dozen or so bunches in swift succession, explaining “you need to throw them down because, during transport, rotten grapes would [taint and] ruin the whole 25kg in the box.”

As Sottomayor predicted, at noon the sun comes out and our picnic lunch among the vines goes ahead despite an inauspicious start to the day. Then it’s off to Quinta do Seixo (Valença do Douro) to taste samples of fermenting and fermented grapes which were picked before the heavy rains. These dark, rich but balanced blending components bear out the reports that, but for the rains, this could have been a classic Vintage Port year.

It’s fun to taste Ports in their raw youth and contrast a field blend with a single varietal Tinta Francisca (floral and elegant). It’s my first taste of the variety flying solo and, it transpires, the first time Sottomayor has made it. The relatively rare variety was only planted in 2008 so he wants to get the measure of it. Usually, for better integration and balance, he prefers to co-ferment different varieties (and different vineyard expositions) together rather than back blend. The harvest is planned accordingly.

After the tasting we visit the vineyard where Sottomayor and Eduardo Gomes treat me to a masterclass in identifying which Touriga Nacional grapes are ready to harvest. First, when you pick a berry it should come clean away from the stem. Then, when you gently squeeze the berry between thumb and forefinger, ripe and ready-to-pick berries retain the impression (indent) of your finger and thumb. Mature skins should not be bitter or vegetal, but the best guide to tannin quality is the seeds. These should be brown and crunchy, not chewy. They should “shatter” in the mouth. The pulp should retain good acidity and perfume.

Though Sottomayor reckons another week on the vine would allow the Touriga Nacional at the first site (poorer soils) to attain perfect ripeness, he must be pragmatic. Lots more rain is forecast for 7 October so he decides it should be picked the next day. As Gomes points out “we wear two hats, of the viticulturist and the winemaker and, today, the viticulturist wins.” Even so, Sottomayor believes that the Touriga will make the grade for Reserve Douro DOC/Vintage Port. As for the parcel of Touriga Nacional vines we visit on richer soils, close to a water course, it’s another story. This parcel is less ripe so must wait another week before it can be harvested.

On day two we drop by a third party supplier to assess some young, basic Ports en route to Sogrape’s highest Douro vineyard, the sizeable 120ha Quinta do Sairrão in S. João Pesqueira. Rising (from 120 metres) to around 700 metres above sea level, its higher tiers make it the coolest, latest picked vineyard. It has contributed to the high altitude component Casa Ferreirinha Barca Velha since 2006 and is also responsible for the accomplishment of a new white wine, Casa Ferreirinha Antónia Adelaide Ferreira 2012.

Unusually, because the rainfall has been worse at the top of the vineyard, the higher vineyards are being picked first. With more expected, it’s a good thing that elevation also means good wind exposure. It helps to dry the fruit. To take full advantage of it, the previous week Sottomayor gave the instruction to de-leaf the Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca vines to expose the grapes to the sun. However, ideally both still need a fortnight for flavour development and optimal tannin ripeness. While acknowledging it’s a risk to leave it, he has to balance this risk with the fact it could yet attain reserve quality. It’s a chance he is prepared to take though, he adds, if it rains, “we will come running!” On a happier note, the Tinta Roriz from the higher vines looks very good here too and is being harvested that day.

Next we taste some white wines from tank and barrel, all harvested before the rain. Sottomayor is pleased with the quality which he assesses as “better than 2013, with more acidity and very clean.” (An assessment which is reinforced by our final tasting at Quinta do Cavernelho in Vila Real on the homeward leg back to Oporto).

As we taste rosé, red wine and Port samples from the estate made from fruit picked before and after the rains, Sottomayor points out the advantages of having so many blending components at his disposal from different locations (and within those locations, from different aspects and elevations). Speaking of which our day ends with visits to a couple more grower vineyards and the Adega Freixo de Numão co-operative where we agree on which two of the four red Port samples best fit the bill for Ruby or Tawny. But for a vicious wasp attack on a sugared-up yours truly, we’d have packed in another visit too.

By day three we are in the heart of the Douro Superior and visiting the jewel in the crown for Sogrape’s red Douro DOC wines, Quinta da Leda in Almendra, the principal source of Barca Velha. Resident winemaker António Braga has 50 people harvesting here today to speed things up. He explains it has been an unorthodox year with 90mm of rain during the harvest which, in 2005, represented the entire year’s rainfall!

Though it has resulted in some dilution and rot, Braga says that the warm weather which followed has helped the vines to recover. He believes “it’s still a very, very good year for grapes picked after the rain. And an amazing year for grapes picked before the rain” (and it shows in the samples we taste). What’s more, where the Touriga Franca grapes are always smaller at Leda, berry splitting has not been as problematic as elsewhere.

Still, where the grapes are more dilute than usual, Sottomayor decides that they need another week to 10 days to concentrate – it will be the last picked variety, which is risky, so he and Braga agree to pick some parcels earlier to mitigate the risk. At least it’s less likely to be eaten by the wild boars that forage in the vineyards. Apparently, they prefer (sweeter varieties) Touriga Nacional and Tinta Barroca.

As for end consumers, what matters is the quality of the finished wines. Let’s not talk battles, has Sottomayor won the war in 2014? Though he points out that the quality of the reds will become clearer in November after the wines have completed their malolactic fermentation, when I caught up with him a fortnight later in London for a sneak preview of Sandeman Cask 33 Very Old Tawny Port he told me that while the vintage was still underway (and it was raining that day at Quinta do Sairrão), he was “very happy” with the wine quality, including the Touriga Franca which he had harvested a week earlier….beautiful aromas, but it’s still fermenting, we’ll see….” Not just a man of military precision then, but a politician too!

Five days later I received Sogrape’s vintage report. Here’s what it says about the Douro:
“At Quinta do Seixo, picking began on 4th September, with grapes from the Quinta itself and from Quinta do Caêdo, from the vineyards closest to the river Douro and with a W and SW exposure. By 15th September, 600 tonnes had already been picked, and the enthusiasm amongst the cellar workers was tangible due to the quality of the grapes coming in and the results achieved during fermentation.

Eduardo Gomes, responsible for vinification in this cellar, attributed this result to the level of consistency seen throughout the maturation, due to the mild weather. There was no excessive heat, the plants did not undergo any water stress, and this resulted in very healthy and good quality grapes.

Similarly, at Quinta da Leda in the Upper Douro, expectations were also high at the beginning of the harvest for the same reasons. António Braga, the resident winemaker at this winery, puts it down to a slow maturation during which the vine worked well, which meant that the grapes entering the cellar were in such good physiological condition.

Now, the harvest is practically in, and the Head Winemaker at Sogrape Vinhos for the Douro region, Luís Sottomayor, says that the 2014 wines are of very good quality, and he is, justifiably, very pleased. Despite the harvest taking place during almost two weeks of rain, this added to the freshness, fine fruitiness and ample volume of the wines in the mouth.

The weather that was experienced during the maturation and the harvest affected the principal grape varieties differently. This favoured Tinta Roriz in particular. According to Luís Sottomayor, 2014 was the year for this variety, since it benefitted from a cool growing cycle with no heat spikes, which led to ideal conditions for maturation. Grape formation was uniform and the skin of this variety resisted the effects of rain to produce some great wines. On the other hand, the Touriga Franca variety, which prefers high temperatures and dry weather, was not at its best in this rainy season. Nevertheless, the wines made at the beginning of the 2014 harvest when there was no rain, are of good quality.

2014 was also a good vintage for white wines because, in the opinion of Luís Sottomayor, it was a year which promoted good acidity and aromatic expression, which resulted in some elegant wines. However, the quantity was slightly less than the previous year, particularly in the higher areas.”

Contacts
Rua 5 de Outubro, 4527
4430-852 Avintes
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 227-838 104
Fax: (+351) 227-835 769
E-Mail: info@sograpevinhos.com
Website: www.sograpevinhos.com

Me & My Shadow: On The Road With Luís Sottomayor, Douro Harvest 2014

Text Sarah Ahmed

Each Douro harvest, Luís Sottomayor clocks up between 10,000 and 15,000 kilometres in two months driving back and forth between vineyards and wineries to assess the grapes and make wine. Hard work! But, for Sogrape’s Head Winemaker, it’s by far and away his favourite time of year. At the end of September I spent three days shadowing Sottomayor to find out about a life in the day of a Head Winemaker at vintage.

So what did I discover on our Vintage 2014 road trip? Well, for starters, let me say it came as no surprise when Sottomayor confided he would have pursued a career in the army had he not followed the family tradition and entered the wine business. The man has nerves of steel. Overseeing such a sizeable grape harvest is like a military campaign, even if it is your 26th vintage.

On the one hand, it calls for strategic thinking, especially forward planning. Sottomayor must first assess production demands for each and every one of the many Port and DOC Douro wine styles and brands (including Ferreira, Sandeman, Offley and Casa Ferreirinha). Then he must evaluate how those demands will be met, both by Sogrape’s 500 hectares of vineyards and by suppliers (of grapes and wine). A master-plan outlines what grapes will be picked, when and from where.

On the other hand, the vintage “campaign” requires quick reactions. Where there is no accounting for Mother Nature’s curve balls, it pays to be flexible. The 2014 vintage is a case in point. Although Sottomayor and his team review the harvest masterplan weekly from August, because rainfall was “intense”, harvest dates had to be rapidly revised and re-revised (with perhaps a 20% deviation from the original plan, reckons Sottomayor).

Where an army of people – between 200-300 – is required over the harvest period, top notch leadership skills are also critical. And Sottomayor, a.k.a. Mr Secateurs, is perfectly prepared to lead by example. The famously fastidious winemaker is photographed at Quinta do Caêdo discarding bunches affected by rot brought on by the rains. I half wondered if he was going to assume the role of drill instructor, roll his trousers up and jump into the lagares at Quinta do Seixo to supervise the foot-treading!

But I digress. Let’s start at the very beginning at Quinta do Porto in Sabrosa near Pinhão where we spent a damp, misty morning with the property’s dedicated viticulturist Vitorino tasting Tinta Roriz. The aim? To assess berry size (which will impact on production), when the grapes should be picked and where the fruit will end up – in Port or Douro wine and at what level of quality. For Sottomayor, although satellite imagery is used to help assess grape maturation, there is no substitute for visiting the vineyard to taste the grapes.

Lesson one is to avoid grapes from those rows which border the vineyards. The soil is richer and more productive here, which means that the grapes are unrepresentative. So we dive deeper into the vineyard where it’s fascinating to taste Tinta Roriz from two different parcels (areas). Sottomayor reckons the first will end up in basic wines or Ports while the second, which shows better structure and perfume, is destined for higher things. The first, will be fermented in vats and undergo a gentle extraction. As for the better quality fruit, “we’ll extract everything” says Sottomayor who, thanks to its mild conditions, rates 2014 for Tinta Roriz which he reckons only does well one year in every ten. It will be foot-trodden in lagares.

We also take our first look at Touriga Franca vines. Though he describes the variety as “normally the best friend of the winemaker,” the rain hasn’t been kind. As Sottomayor anticipated, there are the first signs of rot (Touriga Franca has relatively compact bunches so, when it rains heavily, grapes swell, push against each other and can split, allowing infection to take hold). A whiff of vinegar (oxidised grape juice) can give away the worst affected bunches, but Sottomayor looks beyond the surface and pulls bunches apart to check for signs of splitting or rot. He decides that the vineyard should be harvested quickly – in two days time.

Moving swiftly on, next we cross the river to visit Quinta do Vau and Quinta do Caêdo in Ervedosa do Douro where a team is hard at work harvesting the red-fleshed Sousão (hence the florid purple-stained boxes). As we walk through the vineyard Sottomayor discards a dozen or so bunches in swift succession, explaining “you need to throw them down because, during transport, rotten grapes would [taint and] ruin the whole 25kg in the box.”

As Sottomayor predicted, at noon the sun comes out and our picnic lunch among the vines goes ahead despite an inauspicious start to the day. Then it’s off to Quinta do Seixo (Valença do Douro) to taste samples of fermenting and fermented grapes which were picked before the heavy rains. These dark, rich but balanced blending components bear out the reports that, but for the rains, this could have been a classic Vintage Port year.

It’s fun to taste Ports in their raw youth and contrast a field blend with a single varietal Tinta Francisca (floral and elegant). It’s my first taste of the variety flying solo and, it transpires, the first time Sottomayor has made it. The relatively rare variety was only planted in 2008 so he wants to get the measure of it. Usually, for better integration and balance, he prefers to co-ferment different varieties (and different vineyard expositions) together rather than back blend. The harvest is planned accordingly.

After the tasting we visit the vineyard where Sottomayor and Eduardo Gomes treat me to a masterclass in identifying which Touriga Nacional grapes are ready to harvest. First, when you pick a berry it should come clean away from the stem. Then, when you gently squeeze the berry between thumb and forefinger, ripe and ready-to-pick berries retain the impression (indent) of your finger and thumb. Mature skins should not be bitter or vegetal, but the best guide to tannin quality is the seeds. These should be brown and crunchy, not chewy. They should “shatter” in the mouth. The pulp should retain good acidity and perfume.

Though Sottomayor reckons another week on the vine would allow the Touriga Nacional at the first site (poorer soils) to attain perfect ripeness, he must be pragmatic. Lots more rain is forecast for 7 October so he decides it should be picked the next day. As Gomes points out “we wear two hats, of the viticulturist and the winemaker and, today, the viticulturist wins.” Even so, Sottomayor believes that the Touriga will make the grade for Reserve Douro DOC/Vintage Port. As for the parcel of Touriga Nacional vines we visit on richer soils, close to a water course, it’s another story. This parcel is less ripe so must wait another week before it can be harvested.

On day two we drop by a third party supplier to assess some young, basic Ports en route to Sogrape’s highest Douro vineyard, the sizeable 120ha Quinta do Sairrão in S. João Pesqueira. Rising (from 120 metres) to around 700 metres above sea level, its higher tiers make it the coolest, latest picked vineyard. It has contributed to the high altitude component Casa Ferreirinha Barca Velha since 2006 and is also responsible for the accomplishment of a new white wine, Casa Ferreirinha Antónia Adelaide Ferreira 2012.

Unusually, because the rainfall has been worse at the top of the vineyard, the higher vineyards are being picked first. With more expected, it’s a good thing that elevation also means good wind exposure. It helps to dry the fruit. To take full advantage of it, the previous week Sottomayor gave the instruction to de-leaf the Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca vines to expose the grapes to the sun. However, ideally both still need a fortnight for flavour development and optimal tannin ripeness. While acknowledging it’s a risk to leave it, he has to balance this risk with the fact it could yet attain reserve quality. It’s a chance he is prepared to take though, he adds, if it rains, “we will come running!” On a happier note, the Tinta Roriz from the higher vines looks very good here too and is being harvested that day.

Next we taste some white wines from tank and barrel, all harvested before the rain. Sottomayor is pleased with the quality which he assesses as “better than 2013, with more acidity and very clean.” (An assessment which is reinforced by our final tasting at Quinta do Cavernelho in Vila Real on the homeward leg back to Oporto).

As we taste rosé, red wine and Port samples from the estate made from fruit picked before and after the rains, Sottomayor points out the advantages of having so many blending components at his disposal from different locations (and within those locations, from different aspects and elevations). Speaking of which our day ends with visits to a couple more grower vineyards and the Adega Freixo de Numão co-operative where we agree on which two of the four red Port samples best fit the bill for Ruby or Tawny. But for a vicious wasp attack on a sugared-up yours truly, we’d have packed in another visit too.

By day three we are in the heart of the Douro Superior and visiting the jewel in the crown for Sogrape’s red Douro DOC wines, Quinta da Leda in Almendra, the principal source of Barca Velha. Resident winemaker António Braga has 50 people harvesting here today to speed things up. He explains it has been an unorthodox year with 90mm of rain during the harvest which, in 2005, represented the entire year’s rainfall!

Though it has resulted in some dilution and rot, Braga says that the warm weather which followed has helped the vines to recover. He believes “it’s still a very, very good year for grapes picked after the rain. And an amazing year for grapes picked before the rain” (and it shows in the samples we taste). What’s more, where the Touriga Franca grapes are always smaller at Leda, berry splitting has not been as problematic as elsewhere.

Still, where the grapes are more dilute than usual, Sottomayor decides that they need another week to 10 days to concentrate – it will be the last picked variety, which is risky, so he and Braga agree to pick some parcels earlier to mitigate the risk. At least it’s less likely to be eaten by the wild boars that forage in the vineyards. Apparently, they prefer (sweeter varieties) Touriga Nacional and Tinta Barroca.

As for end consumers, what matters is the quality of the finished wines. Let’s not talk battles, has Sottomayor won the war in 2014? Though he points out that the quality of the reds will become clearer in November after the wines have completed their malolactic fermentation, when I caught up with him a fortnight later in London for a sneak preview of Sandeman Cask 33 Very Old Tawny Port he told me that while the vintage was still underway (and it was raining that day at Quinta do Sairrão), he was “very happy” with the wine quality, including the Touriga Franca which he had harvested a week earlier….beautiful aromas, but it’s still fermenting, we’ll see….” Not just a man of military precision then, but a politician too!

Five days later I received Sogrape’s vintage report. Here’s what it says about the Douro:
“At Quinta do Seixo, picking began on 4th September, with grapes from the Quinta itself and from Quinta do Caêdo, from the vineyards closest to the river Douro and with a W and SW exposure. By 15th September, 600 tonnes had already been picked, and the enthusiasm amongst the cellar workers was tangible due to the quality of the grapes coming in and the results achieved during fermentation.

Eduardo Gomes, responsible for vinification in this cellar, attributed this result to the level of consistency seen throughout the maturation, due to the mild weather. There was no excessive heat, the plants did not undergo any water stress, and this resulted in very healthy and good quality grapes.

Similarly, at Quinta da Leda in the Upper Douro, expectations were also high at the beginning of the harvest for the same reasons. António Braga, the resident winemaker at this winery, puts it down to a slow maturation during which the vine worked well, which meant that the grapes entering the cellar were in such good physiological condition.

Now, the harvest is practically in, and the Head Winemaker at Sogrape Vinhos for the Douro region, Luís Sottomayor, says that the 2014 wines are of very good quality, and he is, justifiably, very pleased. Despite the harvest taking place during almost two weeks of rain, this added to the freshness, fine fruitiness and ample volume of the wines in the mouth.

The weather that was experienced during the maturation and the harvest affected the principal grape varieties differently. This favoured Tinta Roriz in particular. According to Luís Sottomayor, 2014 was the year for this variety, since it benefitted from a cool growing cycle with no heat spikes, which led to ideal conditions for maturation. Grape formation was uniform and the skin of this variety resisted the effects of rain to produce some great wines. On the other hand, the Touriga Franca variety, which prefers high temperatures and dry weather, was not at its best in this rainy season. Nevertheless, the wines made at the beginning of the 2014 harvest when there was no rain, are of good quality.

2014 was also a good vintage for white wines because, in the opinion of Luís Sottomayor, it was a year which promoted good acidity and aromatic expression, which resulted in some elegant wines. However, the quantity was slightly less than the previous year, particularly in the higher areas.”

Contacts
Rua 5 de Outubro, 4527
4430-852 Avintes
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 227-838 104
Fax: (+351) 227-835 769
E-Mail: info@sograpevinhos.com
Website: www.sograpevinhos.com

Jen Pfeiffer: I’m a Fortified Girl!

Text Sarah Ahmed

Leading Australian fortified winemaker Jen Pfeiffer of Pfeiffer Wines reckons she tasted her first Port wine before the age of 10. Referring to her lucky childhood she says, “I grew up thinking it was normal to have Vintage Port dinners every week!”. This year Pfeiffer realised her dream of making her very own Port wine at Quinta dos Murças. I caught up with her in the Douro to find out about her latest project and fascination for all things fortified.

When did you first come to the Douro?

I first visited the Douro with my parents when I was 10 years old. I can remember being amused by the balonges (white dome shaped fermentation vats) and the train journey to Pinhão. We had dinner there with David Baverstock at Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim, which is funny because David now heads up winemaking at Quinta dos Murças!

This is your second time making wine in the Douro. What draws you to the Douro and Portugal?

Because of my love of Vintage Port it was my winemaking holy grail to have the opportunity to work in the Douro in what I had only hoped could be a vintage year. I was lucky enough to do so [on her first visit in 2007 Pfeiffer worked for The Fladgate Partnership at Quinta da Roeda].

I left with a huge sense of connection to the region and there will always be a part of me that belongs here. I love the tradition and culture of winemaking here that has been going on for centuries, the kindness of the people, the salt of earth sense of community in the different villages and the intense human effort that has gone into producing the vineyards and the wine for hundreds of years. For me, the Douro is a magical place.

My second visit has not only confirmed the intensity of the relationship I have with this region but also presented a new opportunity that I could have only once dreamed of. I’m not only making my own Port but also working in a very different place which has been wonderful and very educational, especially because Quinta dos Murças makes great table wines as well as Port. I’ve learned a lot about the structure of Douro table wines – the length and finesse of the tannins and, depending on the blend, the elegance and perfume or density and richness of the fruit. I’d not realised red wines would receive so much work in the lagares – it’s not dissimilar to Port.

You make a wide range of fortified wines (Rutherglen’s famous fortified Muscats and Topaques and others made using the same techniques as Sherry and Port wines) also red, white, sweet and sparkling wines. Which do you most enjoy making?

Fortified styles, I’m a fortified girl! For me they are the most challenging wines. Blending across vintages, varieties and batches to keep a wine looking great for 50 years means you can be at your most creative and I love that. Coming from Rutherglen the quality, intensity and aromatics of Muscats and Topaques can be very exciting as is working with very delicate Apera [Sherry-style] wines under flor with next to no sulphur – it takes a different skill-set. At the end of the day they’re all my babies – I can’t single out a favourite fortified!

Which do you most enjoy drinking?

I love Riesling, Shiraz and of course the great fortified wines of the world. Here in the Douro of course I’m really enjoying drinking Port especially 20 year old Tawny Port after dinner because it has already developed such complexity.

You are a rare role model for a younger generation of fortified winemakers. How important is it to keep the torch burning for fortified wines?

It’s incredibly important to keep shouting out about fortified wines – I will never stop sharing my enthusiasm for these wines around the world and am involved in educational initiatives at Adelaide University and for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. Within the Rutherglen wine industry young winemakers have formed a group called the Rutherglen Young Bloods whose objective is to take the region’s wine to the market and show its relevance.

One of the objectives is to show people the versatility of fortified wines (they’re not just an after dinner sipper). These wines make great aperitifs and can form the basis of some killer mixed drinks as well. Pfeiffer’s Seriously Pink Apera was inspired by my time at Quinta do Roeda where Croft Pink Port is produced; mixologists are using our Aperas in cocktails. It’s a great way to introduce young people to fortified wine.

There is also room to improve education about serving fortified wines with food, which would also improve their relevance. At Pfeiffer Wines’ cellar door we are always looking at ways to introduce wines to people, for instance High Tea with Topaques and Muscats. We also presented some savoury dishes which blew people away like Rutherglen Classic Muscat with gazpacho, terrines and patés with fruit chutneys.

And of course, the most important thing is to put the wines in front of as many people as possible, because generally when someone tastes a good quality fortified wine, they become hooked!!!!

I hugely enjoyed judging at Australia’s The Fortified Wine Show. The masterclasses are a clever way for senior judges to share their passion, knowledge and experience with other judges. I reckon Portugal should host an international fortified wine show. What do you think?

I would love Portugal to have a fortified wine show. I’ll come and judge!!!! It would also be a fantastic opportunity to bring fortified wine people together for a cultural exchange and global perspective on the category. There would be great energy and passion in the room!

The Douro and Rutherglen are both famous for their fortified wines. You have worked in both regions. What similarities and differences do you see?

We share a strong-rooted tradition and culture of inter-generational winemaking which is so important with fortifieds because you need really mature stock for the top wines. Also working in a successful family business is about working with someone who has been there before so that you can talk about it – Rutherglen has great father and son partnerships between Mick and David Morris of Morris Wines and Bill and Stephen Chambers of Chambers Rosewood and, of course, my synergy with dad. We all know how important it is to understand the past of wines to understand their future. In the Douro working with first David Guimaraens, now David Baverstock, I’ve been like a sponge trying to absorb as much as can.

Otherwise, the Douro and Rutherglen are clearly very different parts of the world with different terroir. Not just the soil profiles (the Douro’s schist versus Rutherglen’s red loam over clay and sandy alluvial river flats) but, for example, the Douro has elevation and different aspects because of its mountainous location while Rutherglen is flat, averaging just 165m above sea level. Cropping levels and vine age are hugely different too.

Although Rutherglen has some of Australia’s oldest plantings of Portuguese varieties they’re only around 20 years old so there’s a lot of catching up to do. Still, I see varietal similarities, for example Touriga Nacional’s mid-palate richness, fruit generosity and long, fine tannins and Tinta Barroca’s ripeness and fullness. On the other hand unlike the Douro, Tinta Roriz is not big on tannin in Australia – maybe it’s a different clone? And our Muscat [Moscatel] is red and picked much riper than the Douro’s white Moscatel Galego.

Since 2004, Pfeiffer has sometimes co-fermented different varieties from different vineyard blocks [rather than back blending single varietal wines] for complexity and completeness. However, on my first trip I can remember being really taken aback by the fact that this is a necessity in the Douro’s older [varietally mixed] field blend vineyards. While we have always picked based on the maturity of individual grape varieties, field blend vineyards are picked on the maturity of the block as a whole. Now I understand it is part of the Douro’s culture to look for the wine (not the individual grapes or varietal component parts) when assessing a wine.

How good is it to be back making wine in the Douro Valley after seven years. What does it mean to you to make wine and Port here for your own brand?

It is wonderful. As soon as I saw the first vineyard from the train I felt very much at home – part of me belongs to the Douro and I feel like I’ve been away too long. When I left in 2007 I said that my dream would be to one day own a quinta here in the Douro and produce my own wines to sell back into Australia. While I haven’t quite done that, to have the opportunity to work with a progressive company like Quinta dos Murças to make my own wines here and then sell them in Australia is like a dream come true. I’m incredibly excited that it’s actually happening. My wines are made from several parcels of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela and a small amount of Touriga Franca which I’ve followed from harvest through ferment to barrel. I’ll be regularly tasting samples once I’m back in Australia to monitor my wines’ progress and, after I’ve completed the vintage in Rutherglen next spring I’ll come over and taste every barrel and put the blends together for bottling.

Tell us about the Naked Wines project and your market for the wines from this project.

My project came about because, Australia’s Naked Wines – the crowd-funding group for winemakers – invited its members (who are known as “angels”) to cast their vote for one of three Australian winemakers’ dream-come-true projects. If a winemaker got 2000 votes, the project got the go ahead. Within three days all three projects got 2000 votes! My Port and Douro wine from Murças will be sold online in Australia through Naked Wines. It’s too early to say if my wine will be of Vintage Port quality, a Late Bottled Vintage Port or Reserve Ruby.

Since both the other two projects are in Australia I’ve been really grateful for the can do attitude of David Baverstock and his team at Murças which has helped make my long-distance dream a reality and, of course, the angels who believed in me and wanted to support me. I’ve been sharing my journey here with the angels and I can’t wait to show them my Douro wine and Port.

Are Portuguese grape varieties, fortifieds and wine popular in Australia?

I think Portuguese grape varieties are becoming more and more popular in Australia. Around Rutherglen there have been plantings of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barocca, Sousão and Tinta Cão for over 20 years, both for Vintage (Port wine) styles and table wine. In other regions in Australia, these are varieties that are gaining in popularity too, especially Tinta Roriz (or Tempranillo as we are obliged to call it).

Likewise, Portuguese table wine is growing in popularity, particularly red wines from Douro, Dao and Alentejo. Port wine has been sold in Australia for a long time, with a particular focus on vintage and tawny. While the market is not huge for port wine in Australia when compared to the UK or the US, it is still very much considered a benchmark style of the world.

Is it a good thing or a bad thing, Australia can no longer use the term Port or Sherry?

For most of my life, wine terms have been changing. I remember as I child, Australian winemakers using the terms Champagne, Hermitage and Claret. These terms are no longer in use. It is just a part of evolution.

Ultimately I think it is a good thing – I respect the region and heritage of Port and Sherry wines. While Australian winemakers have tried to emulate these styles over the years, it has been done so as a complement to those wines….but naturally these wines are unique again. Just like it is important to protect the heritage of the Rutherglen region with our Muscats and Topaques, it is important to protect the heritage of the Port and Sherry industries.

While initially there was some backlash in the Australian media about the name changes, Pfeiffer Wines saw it as an opportunity to reinvigorate both categories. We have re-packaged and re-labelled our wines with a modern approach to our branding. Now we have generation X and Y wine consumers coming in to our cellar door asking for an Apera, when they would have never asked for a Sherry.

Contacts
167 Distillery Road
Wahgunyah, Victoria, 3687
Australia
Tel: (+61) 260 332 805
Fax: (+61) 260 333 158
Email: cellardoor@pfeifferwines.com.au
Site: www.pfeifferwinesrutherglen.com.au

Vale da Capucha: Organic Wines With Exciting Goût de Terroir

Text Sarah Ahmed

Pedro Marques’ story is familiar among Portugal’s young winemakers. Although he is the fifth generation in his family to make wine, the thirty-four year old is the first to have studied winemaking. He is also the first to have broken with the region’s tradition of focusing on quantity as opposed to quality. These days the wines which come exclusively from his family’s 13 hectare estate, Quinta de S. José in Carvalhal, Torres Vedras, Lisboa, are labelled Vale da Capucha. Marques made his first Vale da Capucha wines in 2009.

So how has he made the switch from quantity to quality? As this candid winemaker will be the first to tell you, it is work in progress where he has “cut with the past and started again,” planting new varieties which he is getting to know better with each vintage. But with good reason he is clearly pleased with the decision to focus more on white wines which are better suited to the family quinta’s humid, maritime climate than reds. Wines made largely from non-local higher quality grapes – the Douro’s Viosinho and Gouveio, Alentejo’s Antão Vaz, Vinho Verde’s Alvarinho and even France’s Viognier (though he admits the latter was a mistake).

But much more important than the grapes (which he describes as “quite neutral”) is the terroir. Marques is determined to express a sense of place in his wines – to convey the freshness and saltiness which comes from the high limestone content of the family vineyard’s fossil-strewn calcareous slopes which are located just 8 kilometres from the Atlantic coast. This informed his decision to farm the vineyard organically (it was certified organic in 2012) even though it has made for a difficult vintage this wet, cool year with, he estimates, 30-35% crop loss owing to disease pressure.

It also informed his decision to make his wines naturally with no added yeasts or enzymes. Rather, the juice for Vale da Capucha’s hand-picked grapes is settled and fermented naturally (with wild yeasts) on the lies at relatively warm temperatures (around 18 degrees centigrade). Why? Because Marques values texture and body over aromatics, especially the primary ester-driven characters which derive from the fermentation process itself. It is, he believes, a way “to distinguish the wines.” Moreover he can afford to build body and texture because, as he points out, he has the opposite problem from most in Portugal – the high acidity which keeps Vale da Capucha wines so animated.

Though made from relatively young vines planted to grape varieties which are new to the region, Marques wines show great character and promise. If you like textural, terroir-driven white wines, this thoughtful producer’s estate is one to watch.

Vale da Capucha Pynga Viosinho 2010 (VR Lisboa)
A little oily or terpenic on nose and palate which will divide tasters. It’s a little like Retsina on steroids, but in a good way – characterful, with good body/mouthfeel combined with the estate’s trademark freshness to the finish.

Vale da Capucha Pynga Selection 2010 (VR Lisboa)
I like this salty, piquant blend of Gouveio, Arinto and Antão Vaz. Lightly lemony with a subtly vegetal, succulent salt bush or samphire character it has a good acid backbone for length and structure.

Vale da Capucha Alvarinho 2012 (VR Lisboa)
Marques showed us three vintages of his Alvarinho. It was interesting to contrast the firm acid structure of this wine with the juicier fruitier acidity of Alvarinho from Vinho Verde’s granitic soils. In this vintage a bit more vine age (the vines were planted in 2007) gives a little more concentration to its cusp of ripeness pineapple fruit which helps better to balance the acidity. It’s a punchy, crisp Alvarinho, with chalky, mineral acidity.

Vale da Capucha Gouveio 2013 (VR Lisboa)
Marques particularly likes this grape for its subtle almost neutral character, even during fermentation he says. And I see the attraction – it puts the emphasis on the estate’s briny, salty, minerality, putting me in mind of eating goose barnacles. Again the acid is firm. It’s far from fruity but it does have a hint of gooseberry and peach on finish.

Vale da Capucha Arinto 2013 (VR Lisboa)
Arinto is renowned for its high natural acidity so you can imagine, at this estate, it’s on the high end of the high spectrum. In fact Marques plans to leave it in bottle for at least a year. I have to admit that I’m a bit of an acid freak so yes it’s young, but I very much liked the look of this firm austere, chalky, mineral, lemony wine. Once again, it seems very true to the estate.

Vale da Capucha White 2012 (VR Lisboa)
This 85:15 blend of Viosinho & Arinto reminds me a little of Austria’s Gruner Veltliner grape with its gently spicy, vegetal aromatics and shapely palate. A deft cut of lemony acidity makes for a persistent wine. Very good.

Vale da Capucha Pygna Selection White 2012 (VR Lisboa)
A blend 70:20:10 blend of Viognier, Arinto and Fernão Pires. As you’d expect, the Viognier dominates the palate with fresh ginger and apricot fruit. Its spiciness is amplified by the Fernão Pires. The only problem is it’s a little short – perhaps more Arinto needed for persistence?

Vale da Capucha Fossil 2012 (VR Lisboa)
Me and a fair few fellow UK journalists have got a lot of time for this entry level wine. Oodles of character give plenty of bang for buck. A fleshy, creamy palate teased out by lemony acidity reveals white peach and, since I tasted it last year, more evolved (attractive) white asparagus. An undertow of minerality to the finish takes you back to the vineyard. Very good – á point.

Vale da Capucha Reserva 2011 (VR Lisboa)
Similarly this blend of 53% Viosinho, 31% Arinto and 16% Antão Vaz is evolving well with nice weight and layer to the palate and hints of white asparagus on a long, lingering finish. Cries out for fish or chicken and a creamy sauce. Lovely.

Vale da Capucha Tinto 2011 (VR Lisboa)
This 55:45 blend of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz was foot-trodden in lagares and aged in used barrels. The Touriga gives floral lift – violets – to the nose which follow through on a plummy palate well framed by ripe but present chalky tannins and fresh acidity. Savoury oak lends a smoky, charcuterie note to the finish. For a wine which feels un-pushed and so defined it surprised me to learn that it weighs in at 15.3%! Marques explains he had to wait for the tannins to mature hence the high alcohol which he cleverly keeps in check by serving it around 14 degrees centigrade.

Vale da Capucha Late Harvest 2013 (VR Lisboa)
Marques showed us three vintages of this sweetie of which I liked this, the latest vintage, best. Unlike the others, it has a dash of Viognier to its Viosinho and Arinto fruit which seems to make the wine more complete – fleshier and longer with nicely integrated acidity to its toothsome buttered baked apple fruit.

Contacts
Vale da Capucha
Agricultura e Turismo Rural, Lda
Largo Eng.António Batalha Reis, 2
Carvalhal | 2565-781 Turcifal
Torres Vedras | Portugal
Mobile: (+351) 912 302 289/87  | (+351) 912 302 291
Site: www.valedacapucha.com

From Saving Goals to Saving Jampal: The Wines of André Manz

Text Sarah Ahmed

It’s hard to think of a worse injury for a professional goalkeeper than a broken hand. Occurring just a year into André Manz’s stint playing for a Portuguese club you might have thought he’d head back home to Brazil. But even in his twenties, Manz didn’t do the obvious.

Rather the goalkeeper who went on to introduce Portugal to choreographed aerobics became a top fitness entrepreneur. And now, in his latest eponymous business venture, Manz Wine, he has re-introduced the world to Portugal’s almost extinct Jampal grape.

Manz’s adventures in wine started in 2004 when he and his family moved to the sleepy village of Cheleiros in the Lisboa wine region. With its Neolithic sites, Roman bridge and medieval monuments, Manz was drawn by the history of Cheleiros. Not a man to do things by halves, with the help of a journalist, Manz found out that Cheleiros was once famous for its wines.

He tells me that the steep, rocky clay and limestone slopes which surround the village used to be covered with vineyards. A century ago, there were no less than 43 wineries in the village. Manz himself recovered one hectare of vineyard but, knowing nothing about winemaking, initially just made wine for family and friends. But when, with the help of Portugal’s Institute of Vines & Wines, he identified that his 20 year old plot included forgotten local grape variety, Jampal, the astute businessman was quick to realise the potential of his unique varietal selling point.

In 2008, Manz Wines was founded and, by 2012, he had transformed the old village school into a small but perfectly formed winery and planted new vineyards to Jampal with cuttings from his original vines. He now owns around nine hectares of vineyard in Cheleiros and is keen to put the village on the map. Not just with Jampal, but also his oeno-tourism projects. These include Manz Wine’s Lagar Antigo (an old winery now museum with cellar door) and, next year, a book about Chelieros and its wine history.

Jampal remains the only white wine in his portfolio and, for me, it’s the star of the show. Here’s my pick of the range (which also encompasses red wines from the Douro and Península de Setúbal which are made from bought in fruit). The wines are made by Ricardo Noronha and Rita Marques (pictured with the rosé below).

Manz Cheleiros Dona Fátima Jampal 2013 (VR Lisboa)
A tight, very focused nose and palate of great limpidity reveals minerals, floral, citrus and crunchy star fruit aromas and flavours. Smoky oak could detract from its limpidity but in fact cleverly complements this wine’s minerality. A quality which is also reinforced by its salty long, persistent finish. Truly unique. An exciting wine. 13%

Manz Rosé 2013 (VR Lisboa)
Made from 100% Castelão grapes which are dedicated to rosé production, this is an accomplished fruity but dry rosé with creamy, ripe red berry fruit and very attractive, well integrated fresh, persistent, mineral acidity. 12.5%

Manz Cheleiros Penedo do Lexim 2013 (VR Lisboa)
This bright of hue and palate 50:50 blend of Touriga Nacional and Aragones is a great example of an easy going but refined un-oaked red. I’d love it if more Lisboa producers adopted this tree-friendly route and instead focused on fruit and freshness. Fresh, mineral acidity seems to be a Cheleiros hallmark worth cherishing. As for the fruit, the Touriga’s florality and chocolate-edged summer pudding fruit together with Aragones’ chalky, fine tannin structure and gentle spice make for lovely balance. 14%

Contacts
ManzWine
Lagar Antigo | Largo da Praça, n.º 8 – A | 2640-160 Cheleiros | Portugal
Tel: (+ 351) 21 927 94 68
Mobile: (+ 351) 93 426 97 21
Fax: (+ 351) 21 426 97 19
Email: info@manzwine.com
Site: www.manzwine.com

Maçanita – Born to Stand Out

Text Sarah Ahmed

The motto at Fita Preta is “why spend a lifetime trying to blend in, when you were born to stand out.” And so it is with the wines.

Take the Sexy range – brash branding (tacky, some might say) for a country which has been described as the most socially-conservative Roman Catholic nation.

Or the subject of this post, Fita Preta’s exciting, envelope-pushing Signature Series wines which I’ve written up below. Mostly single varietal, these wines fly squarely in the face of Portugal’s tradition of blending different grape varieties and yet, in other respects, positively kowtow to tradition.

The man behind the signature is António Maçanita, Fita Preta’s co-founder and winemaker. I asked him about the challenges of being different, what he has learned along the way and what next? Naturally, I also tasted the latest Fita Preta Signature Series releases, which I have reviewed below.

The interview

Sexy but no Kiss: António you have a reputation for being a sharp marketeer yet, with such a diverse portfolio of brands – Sexy and the four different Fita Preta labels – you seem to have ignored the oldest rule in the book – Keep it simple, stupid (K.I.S.S.).
As you well know, in Portugal it is always with a kiss, or two, depending on who you meet. And we are no different. Our K.I.S.S. is viewed just from a different angle, not from “what we believe the market will like”, but from the angle of what we believe is beautiful, aesthetic, amusing, worth the effort, challenging and then hope that consumer will like and share the same excitement. It is sometimes as you say “not simple” and we know that. But more important is authentic and we bottle and label only what we can stand behind.

Saying this, as we grew and launched new wines we had to try to organize our message for the public as well as possible. For example we have been separating the communication (website and social media) for the Sexy label from the rest of the portfolio because it is such a strong brand and also a very party driven wine that needs its own world.

Finally thanks for the compliment “sharp marketeer.” I love it – for a winemaker that comes from a family of anti-business teachers and had never sold one thing in his life before wine, not even his old surfboards, it’s great.

What’s in a name: Turning to Fita Preta’s Signature Series brand it’s not an easy thing to court the export market with unheard of and unpronounceable grape varieties and wine regions. What motivated you to make this range and put your name to it?
The signature series by António Maçanita is where I give myself more room for trial and error, to dream higher, to go out of the box. I question the whys and why nots. It is here that I change the world, even if it is just a little bit and take responsibility for it.

My first signature was 2008 “Branco de Tintas” (a white wine out of red grapes) made out of Trincadeira and Alfrocheiro. I made it during a phase when there were not enough white grapes in the Alentejo for the market needs. So I thought why get into the craziness again of ripping reds to plant whites and not do whites out of reds grapes? We did it and the wine was really good. It ended up in our local wine magazine’s best wines of the year by and was one of the first white out of reds in Portugal. Now there are more than a handful of producers that do it. But the funniest thing (or not) is that it was not certified as Alentejano because it was a white wine made out of red wine grapes and yet that year the region allowed producers to use 20% of white wines from outside the region and still get certified Alentejano … go figure.

From there I got excited about “talhas” (clay pot amphorae). The idea clicked during a plane journey back from visiting friends in California who are making fantastic Sauvignon Blanc in concrete eggs. I said to myself why not use our “Talhas” that are part of our heritage – a symbol of the Alentejo? So when I arrived, we bought a 1940’s 1000 liter “Talha” (which we paid for with 300 bottles of sparkling wine). However, we decided to do modern winemaking (whole bunch pressing, cold fermentation) instead of the classic “Talha method” which is with skin contact. The result after fermentation was simply undrinkable – “beeswax” and “chemical.” We bottled it anyway saying “this is what it is” and, after 6 months in bottle, it became incredible. The “chemical” part was on the back of the nose giving the wine Riesling-like layers and the fruit came to the front of the palate – really fresh and clean. It is still one of my favorites and an anthem to Alentejo history.

From here the role of Signature became saving an almost extinct variety, “Terrantez do Pico.” It’s now in good shape and being re-planted all over the Azores. I am also testing another Azorean grape “Arinto dos Açores“, making a pure “Branco de Indígenas” (a white with neither inoculated yeast or temperature control) and, lastly, bringing Castelão back.

Coming a full a circle? Harking back to tradition (whether grape variety, winemaking process or wine style) is a hallmark of Fita Preta’s Signature Series. What have you learned from delving into the past and in what respects, if any, have you adapted tradition for contemporary tastes?
As an old world producing country we introduced a lot of new techniques – stainless steel, selected yeasts, foreign varieties, block planted (varietal) vineyards, wines aimed at the consumer etc. This has lead to an overall improvement of our wines both reds and whites, but it has also taken away some of the “soul” of our wines – what gave the wines a sense of place when you tasted them. The challenge is complex. It is between choosing what to bring back that can add complexity and typicity and what new techniques to apply while always keeping in mind that we too are part of history.

Pico potential: I recently visited the Azores and I was astounded by the quality and distinctive mineral, salty character of its dry whites, also to learn about Arinto dos Açores and Terrantez do Pico when I’d thought Verdelho (in sweeter/fortified styles) was the mainstay of production ?
The potential of the Azores is incredible. The grape varieties Verdelho (the true one), Arinto dos Açores or Terrantez do Pico are of incredible oenological potential. They are mineral and salty and, with good acidity, have great ageing potential. The “terroir” is unique with volcanic rock, ocean proximity and cold to moderate weather. This combination is explosive for great white wines. And I agree that this new batch of 2013 shows just that.

I also believe that the serious fortified wines that forged Pico’s reputation in the past will see a revival. As letters and even royal banquet menus show, it rivaled the best Madeira in markets like the UK, Holland, US and Russia. It was known in some markets as Pico-Madeira because of this resemblance.

A lot! Our Sexy brand has experienced great growth for its “traditional method” Sparkling wine in France and the US. For Fitapreta, Palpite and Preta a quarter of our vineyards are now in conversion to organic certification. On the Azores I am working closely with other producers and the agricultural department as well as developing our own production project on the islands. And then there are my consultancy projects at Quinta de Sant’Ana, Cem Reis and Arrepiado Velho among others.

The wines

Fita Preta Signature Series Branco de Talha by Anónio Maçanita 2012 (Vinho Regional Alentejano)
Talha is a reference to a very traditional winemaking tradition which dates back to the Roman’s presence in Alentejo many years ago. Talha means that the wine has been fermented in an amphora – just the one here – a 1000l amphora from 1946. And drawing on tradition, this wine sticks with the region’s classic white varieties – Roupeiro (70%) and Antão Vaz (30%). Or at least these dominate the wine where (unusually) the fruit is sourced from 25-30 year old field blend vines. I was surprised by the paleness of the wine and its tight nose until I realised it was transferred to stainless steel tanks after 28 days (amphorae are more porous than a tank which results in more oxidation). So how does this unusual wine – a blend of traditional and modern techniques- taste? It’s high-toned, quite aldehydic which could spell disaster but here is a positive, making for a lively, mercurial wine of lovely green, fresh nutty, fino sherry-like complexity and freshness. A pillowy texture adds to its sense of levity whilst simultaneously bringing weight. A long finish reveals earthier notes going through. Lots of interest here – a ying and yang push me pull me wine. I like its energy, complexity and persistence. 1,300 bottles produced. 13.5%

Fita Preta Signature Series Branco de Indígenas by Anónio Maçanita 2010 (Vinho Regional Alentejano)
Branco de Indígenas is a reference to the fact that this single varietal Arinto has been barrel-fermented (French oak) with 100% natural/indigenous yeast. With its bracing acidity and clean, focused citrus palate I think of Arinto as the Riesling of Portugal. But the winemaking brings another dimension to the grape. Or more precisely, it brings greater dimension, broadening out the palate, so it’s less citrus juice, more lemon rind and, like lemon rind, it has a textural quality – a creamy quality I associate with natural yeasts, perhaps also a function of lees/lees stirring? The wine is more savoury too, with sour dough and some oak torrefaction (nuttiness). Personally, I like to see a bit more fruit and energy, but if texture is your thing, it has an attractive silky languor. 800 bottles were produced. 12.5%

Fita Preta Signature Series Arinto do Açores 2013 (Vinho Regional Açores)
Master Sommelier João Pires selected this taut white for a tasting at 10 Fest Azores – a brilliant showcase for the produce of the island and the talent of local and international chefs. It’s a super-intense, bracing example with terrific nervosity and the subtly leesy texture I associate with his wines. Tightly wound, its lemony fruit is shot through with minerals and salt so punchy and piquant that it ran very well with The Yeatman Head Chef Ricardo Costa’s first course of paprika dusted cracas (barnacles) e sapateira (crab) com vichyssoise. It had the weight and intensity to match this dish despite its pronounced linearity. 13.5%

Fita Preta Signature Series Terrantez do Pico by Anónio Maçanita 2013 (Vinho Regional Açores)
Pale straw with a sweetly nutty, slightly sherried (aldehydic), salty nose, a touch of iodine and grapefruit rind too, all of which notes carry through on a bone dry waxily textural palate together with earth and bruised/browning apple notes. Firmish acidity brings focus and length. Less consensual than the Arinto dos Açores but, with qualities which put me in mind of Loire Chenin, more specifically more muscular Chenins from Anjou (though it’s not as fruity), it has no shortage of structure or character. Very good. 25% of this wine was fermented in oak barrels (I’m assuming old barrels) for 9 months with weekly battonage. Just 646 numbered bottles produced – my sample being bottle number 534. All the rarer when you consider that these 646 bottled are the only bottles of varietal Terrantez do Pico in existence (apart from Maçanita’s previous vintage). And to explain that a little further, less than 100 vines of this near extinct variety exist outside the collection of the agrarian services. 13%

Fita Preta Signature Series Tinto de Castelão by Anónio Maçanita 2010 (Vinho Regional Alentejano)
The Castelão variety may have been put on the map by Peninsula de Setubal-based Jose Maria Fonseca’s Periquita brand but, according to Maçanita, Castelão originated in Alentejo where it remains the third most planted variety. Heeding the old saying that Castelão “needs time” Maçanita has given the grape just that – this wine was macerated on skins post fermentation for 30 days, aged in barrel for 24 months and bottle-aged for 20 months prior to release. It is a translucent ruby hue with a nose sweet with five spice and red summer fruits. In the mouth it is impressively fresh with a Pinot Noir-esque palate of crunchy and precise red cherry and currant fruit and firm, spicy fruit (so edgier and drier than oak) tannins and a whiff of cheroot. A long, very persistent finish reveals attractive and complexing campari and milk chocolate notes. With time in glass and, as it warms up, it becomes richer and rounder, more chocolatey. Personally, I’d serve it a little cool to keep the accent on the red fruits and freshness which I so admired. 2,636 bottles, mine bottle 28. 14%

Contacts
Office
Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Tapada da Ajuda Nº 84-D.
ED. INOVISA – I.S.A. 1349-017 Lisboa – Portugal
Tel: (+351) 213 147 297, (+351) 213 643 018
Fax: (+351) 918 051 326
Email: info@fitapreta.com
Site: fitapreta.com

Fitapreta Winery:
Herdade de Outeiro de Esquila
7040 – 999 Igrejinha – Arraiolos
Mobile 1: (+351) 913 582 547
Mobile 2: (+351) 915 880 095
email: adega@fitapreta.com

X Marks the Spot for Hélder Cunha, “Casca Wines” Roving Winemaker-Cum-Grape Marauder

Text Sarah Ahmed

Winemaker Helder Cunha and actor José Fidalgo criss-crossed Portugal by motorbike for the TV programme Rotas do Vinho (wine roads). Rotas which, with no vineyards and no winery, Cunha has come to know well. For he is one of Portugal’s new breed of roving winemakers-cum-grape marauders whose mission is, quite simply, to seek out the best grapes, wherever they might be. As long as the grapes are Portuguese it matters not if the region is fashionable and, for this, I take my hat off to Cunha.

At Casca Wines, which he co-founded with winemaker Frederico Gomes, wines are made in partnership with local growers and wineries in no less than ten DOC regions.

I am particularly enamoured of Casa Wines’ Monte Cascas Single Vineyard and Icon range, especially the quirkier wines from Colares and Tejo whose aged vineyards might just as well be described as national heirlooms. Where he laments “Portugal let its wine culture run through its fingers,” Cunha’s objective is to preserve them and renew Portugal’s unique tradition in winemaking. Here is what he had to say on this important topic, after which you’ll find my notes on Monte Cascas’ Single Vineyard and Icon range.

The interview

1. Portugal’s glory days – its Age of Discovery – are long gone yet, with no vineyards of your own, you are injecting the restless spirit of Vasco da Gama into the Monte Cascas multi-sourced portfolio.  Tell me why you love to hit the road.
Going back to the old days, re-discovering the treasures of the country. I believe that Portugal is still an excellent wine producer. We have richness in varieties and terroirs which are unique in the wine world. Before I established Casca Wines I had the sense that Portuguese wines offer a rare tasting experience.  I felt that with a modern approach to traditional production we could deliver an exquisite new taste to the world of wine.  Before co-operatives were established 60 years ago, the vineyards were planted to produce quality and not just quantity. I love to hit the road because it is still possible to discover the vineyards before those times.

2. X marks the spot:  What and where, in your opinion, are the best grapes in the country and why?
Some years ago I believed that quality came from a certain area/region. Nowadays as we are producing in 10 different DOCs I believe that quality comes from the love you give to your work. The best grape growers are the ones who love their vineyard and that is easy to see and feel! Our challenge today is to achieve greatness in the different DOCs.
However it is a fact that it is easier to grow perfect grapes in terroirs which have a neutral to basic soil, a cooler yet dry climate with varietals which have more acidity. We must remember that Portugal is a hot country and the proximity to the Atlantic and altitude help to achieve a greater balance in the grapes [and so wines]

3. An Australian winemaker recently described their older more hard-pressed vines as “skinny old guys” because, initially, their wines are a little lean and need time in barrel to reveal their grace and evenness – hardly an on trend quality in our fast consuming society.  You’ve made it your business to seek out skinny old guys – what’s the attraction for a young guy like you?
The balance that an older vine can deliver helps to show the best of its region. The “skinny old guys” are like our grandparents for whom experience brought balance. I agree with the Australian winemaker, these wines need time to achieve grace, so the only way to show them in this fast consuming society is to share them by opening a bottle and to explain their origin and what’s expected in the coming years. One of our first private clients who appreciated that we were doing something special just wrote to us asking for our first vintage of Malvasia de Colares because he has three cases but wants to buy more for ageing.

4. Has working with the skinny old guys paid off? Take Fernão Pires, a workhorse variety which typically makes cheap volume wines.  Is it difficult to challenge perceptions of this grape even if it comes from 100 year old vines?

Yes, very difficult!  Still, our export clients who have little knowledge about Fernão Pires simply didn’t care that the grape is used for cheap wines.  They just looked at the quality. This helped to convince the Portuguese public and, today, our Fernão Pires is known to ”connoisseurs”.

5. Is it hard to track down and source grapes from such venerable old vineyards or are they overlooked, neglected and all too available?
It is harder now than when we started. These vineyards are neglected and European Union grants for the re-structuring of vineyards have wiped out a lot of the “treasures” that existed. Also the price of the grapes that growers are paid doesn’t reflect the quality you can get from old vineyards, so a grape grower simply wipes them out and plants a new one. Portalegre, for sure one of the best areas to produce a true Alentejo wine, is a good example.  Nowadays it is very hard to find a very old vineyard with a viable quantity of grapes because most of them were abandoned when the co-operative went into decline.

6. Do you have any plans to settle down and a buy your own vineyards or will you always be a rolling (terroirist) stone?
Yes, one day I will have my own vineyards, but this doesn’t mean I will stop being a rolling terroirist.

The tasting

Casca Wines Monte Cascas Colares Malvasia 2011 (Colares)
Malvasia de Colares is unique to the Colares region.  And not very much of it exists.  The grapes for this wine – all 36 cases of it, were sourced from two 80+ year old vineyards a stone’s throw (c. one kilometre) from the Atlantic on – surprise, surprise – sandy soils (called Chão de Areia) over harder Chão Rijo soils formed of brownish limestone. It’s a very complex wine, round and textural but fresh, with hints of mushroom and bosky salt marsh and brine to its intensely stony, mineral palate. Unique. 11.5%

Monte Cascas Vinha da Padilha Fernão Pires 2010 (Tejo DOC)
Fernão Pires is planted in abundance in Tejo where it might be said of this variety familiarity breeds contempt. Not so with this wine.  It comes from an exceptionally aged bush vine vineyard (over 100 years old) in Almeirim and is located on grey alluvial clay soil.  Harvested in the fourth week of October when, no doubt, the grapes were super-ripe the resulting antique gold wine is rich and off dry, with 6.2g/l residual sugar.  However it remains well balanced with beautifully integrated gently rolling acidity to its chamomile-edged peach kernel, quince, waxy apricot and dried pear fruit.   Long and silkily creamy in the mouth this is a sensual wine over which to linger.  It was fermented in 100% French oak (old barrels) where it is aged for 12 months.  54 cases produced. 12%

Casca Wines Monte Cascas Colares Ramisco 2009 (Colares)
Ramisco is also unique to Colares whose sandy soils famously protected this red grape from the ravages of phylloxera. Betraying its “skinny old guys” roots (it is sourced from the same vineyards as the Malvasia de Colares), this wine has opened up since I last tasted it in 2012.  An appetising nose puts me in mind of beetroot and fresh grated horseradish – lip-smacking and piquant. It shows crunchy, vivid wild bilberry and red fruits – pomegranate and riper scented red cherry and raspberry. A lingering finish reveals delicious mushroom/truffle undertones. Though leaner and firmer, it would appeal to lovers of Pinot Noir.  11%

Monte Cascas Vinha da Carpanha 2010 (DOC Dão)
Sourced from a 56 year old low yielding (2t/ha) vineyard in Penalva do Castelo at 526m on granitic soils with slate and clay this is a deep purple, opaque blend of 65% Touriga Nacional and 35% Jaen. Dark spices – liquorice and clove – and mocha oak mingle with sweeter bergamot, dried pine needles and juicy, well-defined black berry and cherry fruit. Though the tannins are fine-grained and the whole very polished this well structured, dark, brooding style needs time to unravel and shrug off its rather over-enthusiastic new oak (it spent 24 months in new French oak) to show at its best.  Cunha didn’t disagree with my take on the oak and, for subsequent Dão and Douro single vineyard vintages, believes that the oak is better balanced. 14.5%

Monte Cascas Vinha do Vale 2009 (DOC Douro)
Sourced from a stone terraced 94 year old low yielding (1t/ha) traditional bush “em taça” field blend vineyard with more than 20 different grape varieties at 110m in the Torto Valley.  The grapes were partially de-stemmed (30% stems) and crushed directly to a lagares and following fermentation the wine was aged for 24 months in French new oak barrels.  In this warm, very dry vintage it is a deep aubergine hue with a quite forward balsamic nose with baked plum and black fruits.  In the mouth it’s fresher with an attractive minerality and juiciness to its spicy, eucalypt-edged black berry and currant fruit so it’s a little less baked on the palate than the nose.  Still, more forward than I’d expect.  14.5%

Monte Cascas Vinha das Cardosas 2010 (DOC Bairrada)
From a high density low yielding (2 ton/ha) vineyard which was planted in 1914 on calcacareous soils in Cordinhã.  With traditional bush “em taça” Baga vines with a smattering of Maria Gomes (3%) & Bical (1%), it underwent a suitably traditional ferment in lagares with 30% stems.  A tightly coiled, firm nose and palate has a green pine needle edge (30% stems) to its juicy but very precise, intensely concentrated damson fruit which means it mops up the (not so traditional) new French oak in which it was aged for 24 months with ease.  A chassis of fine grained tannins and very persistent but well integrated acidity carry a long, taut finish.  Youthfully austere Baga which I’d hold back for at least five years before sneaking another peek.  Very promising.  13%

Contacts
Casca Wines, Lda.
DNA Cascais – Ninho de Empresas.
Cruz da Popa
2645 – 449 Alcabideche – Cascais, Portugal
Tel.: (+351) 212 414 078
Email: info@cascawines.pt
Site: www.cascawines.pt
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Casca-Wines
Facebook: www.facebook.com/monte.cascas

Portuguese Wine: The Sommeliers’ Flexible Friend?

Text Sarah Ahmed

I’ve always been struck by the parallels between Portuguese and Italian wines. They share a food-friendly edge of tannin and acidity, especially those wines from the north of these long skinny countries.

Even more striking is their embarrassment of varietal riches. Portugal has over 250 native grapes while, according to Ian D’Agata (Native Wine Grapes of Italy), Italy has double that number!

Combine this great diversity of grape varieties with each countries’ equally diverse terrain (think mountains, coastlines, rolling hills, plains and islands) and you have a great recipe for food and wine matching success – a wine style for just about any dish you care to mention.

However Italy and Portugal part company when it comes to the international reputation and profile of their cuisine. Who doesn’t know “The 3 P’s” – pizza, pasta and parmesan – in whose wake gazillions of litres of Italian wine have achieved distribution in restaurants, delicatessens and supermarkets worldwide?

On the other hand, beyond its former colonies, Portugal’s classic dishes are conspicuous by their absence. The UK-based sommeliers who visited Portugal with me this spring on Wines of Portugal’s Wine Quest were bowled over by hitherto undiscovered regional specialties such as leitão, cabrito assado and queijo Serra da Estrela matched with local wines.

So it was interesting to see how they then responded to Wines of Portugal’s challenge to find mouth-watering food matches for their favourite wines once home. Listed are a selection of sumptuous suggestions which emerged from this very clever initiative to engage with leading young sommeliers in the UK.
But first, here are five reasons why Wine Quest’s champion sommelier (Dorian Guillon of the three Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester) believes Portuguese wines “definitely” have the potential to increase their market in the UK:

1. diversity of indigenous grapes for the most adventurous amateur
2. wines with a sense of place, expression and character
3. food-friendly wines with different styles to play at the table
4. diverse styles from entry level delicious fruity white wines to the most refined reds (e.g. Baga with bottle age in Bairrada
5. discovery for the guests on tasting menu”

So I say: “Coragem Portugal, mantenham a fé!”

Anselmo Mendes Alvarinho Contacto 2013 (Vinho Verde)
with slow-cooked langoustines with ginger and caviar (Adam Pawlowski, Heathcotes)

Vadio Branco 2013 (Bairrada)
with dim sum platter of scallop shumai, har gau, prawn Chinese chive dumpling and shimeji dumpling (Gabor Foth, Hakkasan).

Terrenus White 2012 (Portalegre, Alentejo)
with Cornish turbot with green olives, chopped oysters and veloute of sake (Anja Breit, The Ledbury)

Quinta do Ameal 2004 (Vinho Verde)
with monkfish medallions en papillotte with baby carrots, cumin, coriander, dried fruits and nuts and an orange sabayon with chorizo, served with saffron rice (Antonin Dubuis of The Savoy Grill).

Caves São João Porta dos Cavaleiros White 1985 (Dão)
with smoked lobster simply dressed with olive oil, salt & pepper (Dorian Guillon, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester).

Terrenus Tinto 2009 (Alentejo)
with venison, smoked mash potatoes and wild mushrooms (William Wilson, The Chesterfield Mayfair).

Vadio Grande Vadio 2011 (Bairrada)
with mature hard cheeses – Cheddar, Parmesan (Piotr Pietras, Maze by Gordon Ramsay).

Quinta da Vacarica 2008 (Bairrada)
with chargrilled Côte de Boeuf with a foie gras or truffle jus. (Dorian Guillon, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester).

Quinta Vale Dona Maria 2011 (Douro)
with venison, celeriac mash and damson jus (Adam Pawlowski, Heathcotes).

Quinta Vale Dona Maria 2011 (Douro)
with crispy pork belly, savoy cabbage, razor clams, jalapeno dressing and roast apples. (Antonin Dubuis of The Savoy Grill).

Portuguese Wine: The Sommeliers' Flexible Friend?

Text Sarah Ahmed

I’ve always been struck by the parallels between Portuguese and Italian wines. They share a food-friendly edge of tannin and acidity, especially those wines from the north of these long skinny countries.

Even more striking is their embarrassment of varietal riches. Portugal has over 250 native grapes while, according to Ian D’Agata (Native Wine Grapes of Italy), Italy has double that number!

Combine this great diversity of grape varieties with each countries’ equally diverse terrain (think mountains, coastlines, rolling hills, plains and islands) and you have a great recipe for food and wine matching success – a wine style for just about any dish you care to mention.

However Italy and Portugal part company when it comes to the international reputation and profile of their cuisine. Who doesn’t know “The 3 P’s” – pizza, pasta and parmesan – in whose wake gazillions of litres of Italian wine have achieved distribution in restaurants, delicatessens and supermarkets worldwide?

On the other hand, beyond its former colonies, Portugal’s classic dishes are conspicuous by their absence. The UK-based sommeliers who visited Portugal with me this spring on Wines of Portugal’s Wine Quest were bowled over by hitherto undiscovered regional specialties such as leitão, cabrito assado and queijo Serra da Estrela matched with local wines.

So it was interesting to see how they then responded to Wines of Portugal’s challenge to find mouth-watering food matches for their favourite wines once home. Listed are a selection of sumptuous suggestions which emerged from this very clever initiative to engage with leading young sommeliers in the UK.
But first, here are five reasons why Wine Quest’s champion sommelier (Dorian Guillon of the three Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester) believes Portuguese wines “definitely” have the potential to increase their market in the UK:

1. diversity of indigenous grapes for the most adventurous amateur
2. wines with a sense of place, expression and character
3. food-friendly wines with different styles to play at the table
4. diverse styles from entry level delicious fruity white wines to the most refined reds (e.g. Baga with bottle age in Bairrada
5. discovery for the guests on tasting menu”

So I say: “Coragem Portugal, mantenham a fé!”

Anselmo Mendes Alvarinho Contacto 2013 (Vinho Verde)
with slow-cooked langoustines with ginger and caviar (Adam Pawlowski, Heathcotes)

Vadio Branco 2013 (Bairrada)
with dim sum platter of scallop shumai, har gau, prawn Chinese chive dumpling and shimeji dumpling (Gabor Foth, Hakkasan).

Terrenus White 2012 (Portalegre, Alentejo)
with Cornish turbot with green olives, chopped oysters and veloute of sake (Anja Breit, The Ledbury)

Quinta do Ameal 2004 (Vinho Verde)
with monkfish medallions en papillotte with baby carrots, cumin, coriander, dried fruits and nuts and an orange sabayon with chorizo, served with saffron rice (Antonin Dubuis of The Savoy Grill).

Caves São João Porta dos Cavaleiros White 1985 (Dão)
with smoked lobster simply dressed with olive oil, salt & pepper (Dorian Guillon, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester).

Terrenus Tinto 2009 (Alentejo)
with venison, smoked mash potatoes and wild mushrooms (William Wilson, The Chesterfield Mayfair).

Vadio Grande Vadio 2011 (Bairrada)
with mature hard cheeses – Cheddar, Parmesan (Piotr Pietras, Maze by Gordon Ramsay).

Quinta da Vacarica 2008 (Bairrada)
with chargrilled Côte de Boeuf with a foie gras or truffle jus. (Dorian Guillon, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester).

Quinta Vale Dona Maria 2011 (Douro)
with venison, celeriac mash and damson jus (Adam Pawlowski, Heathcotes).

Quinta Vale Dona Maria 2011 (Douro)
with crispy pork belly, savoy cabbage, razor clams, jalapeno dressing and roast apples. (Antonin Dubuis of The Savoy Grill).

Douro or not Douro – Why is the question?

Text Sarah Ahmed

Many winemakers have described the Douro as “a playground”. What with its multi-faceted slopes, vineyards located at anywhere between 100m-900m and Smörgåsbord of grape varieties, the stylistic permutations seem endless. Spoiled for choice one might say….

And yet for some, take my latest off-piste discovery – Quinta da Romaneira Petit Verdot 2011 – the Douro DOC region’s 118 approved varieties are not enough! Which explains why this red single varietal wine from one of the great historic quintas of the Douro Valley is labelled Vinho Regional Duriense and not DOC Douro.

I must confess I tend to have a knee-jerk negative reaction to the use of non-local grapes, (especially foreign grapes) when Portugal is so richly and uniquely endowed with those native grape varieties that make it a wine lovers’ paradise. Well might one ask what’s so great about Petit Verdot? But to use the words of Tiago Teles, perhaps the right question is do the grapes “drive the local?”.

Being a late (even later than Cabernet Sauvignon) and therefore risky ripener in Bordeaux (from where it originates), Petit Verdot is bit part player in the famous French region’s red blends (the so-called ‘salt and pepper’). But transplant it to warmer, drier climes where it stands a much better chance of fully ripening and Petit Verdot makes for a powerful stand alone variety. Indeed, given that the vines were only planted in 2006, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the concentration and structure of Quinta da Romaneira Petit Verdot.

Not that the Douro is short of concentrated, structured wines. So what possessed Romaneira’s co-founder and Managing Director Christian Seely to plant it when he oversaw the renovation of the 17th century quinta following its acquisition in 2004? Might it be a French flight of fancy where Seely is also the Managing Director of France’s AXA Millésimes, owner of Bordeaux châteaux Pichon-Baron, Petit Village and Suduiraut?

Not one to mince words Seely simply observes “it has done incredibly well.” In fact so well that he has grafted over vines at Quinta do Noval (which is part of AXA Millésimes’ portfolio). It’s the acid test which explains why both Romaneira and Noval also produce a Syrah (the latter of which made the cut for my Wines of Portugal 50 Great Portuguese Wines in 2010). And the reason why Seely gave Bordeaux’s iconic variety, Cabernet Sauvignon, short shrift. Though it was planted at Noval’s vineyard in the Roncão valley Seely memorably told me on a visit a few years ago that, while Syrah was “well-adapted to the Douro, Cabernet stood out like a vulgar tourist.” Suffice to say the Cabernet vines were promptly grafted over to native variety Touriga Franca!

Here’s my note on Quinta da Romaneira Petit Verdot 2011 followed by six other Duriense wines to watch out for, four of which you’ll see are made by native Douro producers! In fact I reckon Real Companhia Velha and Niepoort produce the regions’ biggest range of non-local varieties.

Quinta da Romaneira Petit Verdot (Vinho Regional Duriense)
From the outstanding 2011 harvest this Petit Verdot has a deep opaque glossy aubergine skin hue. The nose is powerful and very vinous with rich, currant fruit, spicy fruitcake and cured leather, all of which notes follow through on an ample but well balanced palate with ripe but present supporting tannins. I particularly like the way that it hugs the palate – there’s lovely fruit intensity and weight here plus a hint of Douro dust and eucalypt to the long, rolling finish. Still, I doubt very much I’d guess this wine’s provenance if tasted blind. Very good. In fact the best varietal Petit Verdot I’ve yet tasted (albeit from a small base). 14%

Other Duriense wines to watch out for
Lavradores de Feitoria Tres Bagos Sauvignon Blanc
Real Companhia Velha Delaforce Alvarinho
Poeira Branco (Alvarinho)
Niepoort Pinot Noir
Quinta do Noval Labrador Syrah
Quinta do Noval Cedro

Contacts
Quinta da Romaneira
Cotas
5070 – 252  Alijó
Portugal
Tel: 259 957 000
Fax: 259 957 009
Email: info@quintadaromaneira.pt
Site: www.quintadaromaneira.pt