When constructing a modern map of the Douro valley, showing the major Port producers, I thought it might be helpful to write a short introduction to each one and that they should also be made available separately for anyone looking for some brief details about a particular Quinta.
In existence since at least 1848 (when it appeared on Barron Forrester’s map), this independently owned Quinta formerly supplied wines to Cockburn’s and Taylor’s before becoming a major part of Churchill Graham when the shipper was founded in 1981. A number of SQVP have been commercially produced in secondary years.
Map (Location: 41.165167, -7.622194)
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Owned by the Morais family since 1919 who were responsible for planted red grapes there for the first time, Alegria is now one of the main quintas for Quevedo, a relatively young Port company founded in 1991. One of small number of Quintas still to have a railway station and, at the bottom of the property, between the railroad and the river a wide extension of orange and lemon trees.
Map (Location: 41.179203, -7.380528)
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Now known as Quinta do Arnozelo. First mentioned in 1527 due to the presence of a chapel to Nossa Senhora da Ribeira on the Quinta, Arnozola was extensively replanted in redeveloped in the 19th Century by Dona Antónia Ferreira. In the 20th Century it was acquired by José Saraiva de Aguilar in 1936 from Ferreira’s family and then by a new company, Sociedade Agrícola Quinta do Arnozelo, in the 1990s who carried out extensive replanting in 1992. In 2004 it was purchased by Sogevinus who now use wines from the Quinta in the Cálem. Reportedly the Taylor Fladgate Partnership was also interested in acquiring the property but bid a third less than Sogevinus.
Map (Location: 41.134452, -7.298183)
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The Quinta with the “Good View” was once home to Barron Forrester, and has contributed to the Port of his company (Offley Forrester) since then, although the property was owned independently until 1979. The importance of Boa Vista for Offley was such that its vintage port was labelled as Offley Boa Vista, long before it became a true SQVP in 1979.
Map (Location: 41.165749, -7.574097)
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The Quinta of the “good end” which has been associated with Dow’s since the 1890s. Now a significant contributor to the general Dow’s blend, with SQVP commercially produced in secondary years since 1978.
Map (Location: 41.19, -7.529444)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1996 SQVP | |
| 2009 SQVP | Dense black cherries on the nose. Very dry in the mouth, but perhaps a touch sweeter than I expected. I see that there could be attraction in this but this style is not entirely to my liking. |
| 1999 SQVP | Similar in colour to the Quinta dos Canais 199. Dense cherries on the nose, deeply tannic still in the mouth and, unsurprisingly very dry. Although I do not usually like this style, I thought this was fantastic. |
One half of Quinta de Santa Eufémia which was recently divided into separate properties (the Quinta and the Casa). Now an independent producer of the full range of Ports, including a number of unusual aged white Ports.
Map (Location: 41.13728, -7.743623)
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Planted in 1845 by the Barão de Seixo and owned by Messias since 1956. Now used it both the regular Messias blends and also to produce a SQVP. Unusually the SQVP is sometimes produced in years of general declarations alongside the regular Messias blend.
Map (Location: 41.143970, -7.332457)
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Dating from the 17th, Casa da Calçada, owned by the Villas Boas family makes a small number of Ports and Douro table-wines in collaboration with Niepoort.
Map (Location: 41.218001, -7.569773)
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A long-standing component of the Cockburn’s blend but only purchased by the company in 1989. Since then SQVP has been produced in secondary years, with the exception of 2007 when both a regular Cockburn’s and a Canais were sold.
Map (Location: 41.150278, -7.304167)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2007 SQVP | Cockburn Lodge. Very drinkable now. Floral. Very attractive. Deep purple. Good sweet aromas on the nose. In the mouth, good primary fruit but very little tannin or acidity. Really quite surprisingly how light this was: would have expected something bolder for a classic year. |
| 2009 SQVP | Extremely floral on the nose. Extraordinary sensation of cut grass; it feels like siting in a meadow. Very soft and approachable in the mouth. Fantastic now, and will be an excellent, though probably young-maturing, Port. |
| 1999 SQVP | Good colour, though starting to lighten on the rim. On the nose a bit too much rancio for my liking and somewhat too much heat. Not great. |
An old Quinta, which can be traced back to at least 1759, Carvalhãs came to be owned by the Real Companhia Velha in 1975. SQVP has been produced in secondary years since 1989, in addition to a Quinta das Carvalhãs basic tawny.
Map (Location: 41.181767, -7.532882)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1970 SQVP | Fully mature in colour: a light pink color. Muted nose. In the mouth, orange, caramel and light sugar. Very drinkable now. (Unexpectedly) excellent. |
| Tawny | In a ship’s decanter shaped bottle. Perhaps a bit more mature in colour than I expected. Orange in the middle fading to a clear rim. On the nose, lots of sweet fruit, a bit like a boiled sweet. In the mouth, again quite sweet with a little fruit. Very few tawny flavours. Although it doesn’t really taste much like a 10-year-old tawny, for what it was, I enjoyed it! |
Dating back to at least 1885, now an independent quinta which produces a small range of Ports and Douro table wines.
Map (Location: 41.140528, -7.814584)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| Ruby | Probably unfiltered; bottled 2008. Extremely attractive; black cherry jam on the nose, blackcurrants predominating in the mouth. Some tannins but not too many. Needs a few hours in the decanter but not too long. |
| White | 50cl clear glass bottle. The colour is nice; between the darkest straw and the lightest caramel. The nose is also attractive (especially for a white Port). There is quite a lot of fruit; lychees and a touch of orange. Some sweetness too. At back of the nose a slight chemical smell attached to a lot of alcohol. In the mouth an immediate surge of alcohol. The lychee comes eventually, along with some lavender, but this immediately disappears. Then a nasty bitter chemical after-taste. Truly appalling; hopefully a flawed bottle. |
The modern Castelinho was created in 1848 when the Quintas of Castelinho, Azenha, Vau and Pelão were merged into one large property. It was acquired by the Saraiva family in 1969 who started producing SQVP independently from 1986 when Port could first be exported directly from the Douro. The company now produces the full range of Ports and Douro table wine.
Map (Location: 41.173405, -7.379615)
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The main quinta of Duorum, a Port shipper which was established by João Portugal Ramo and José Maria Soares Franco in January 2007 to make high-quality table wines and vintage port from the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. SQVP is produced in secondary years.
Map (Location: 41.046476, -7.060368)
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Formerly three separate properties which provided wines to Fonseca, Sandeman and Ferreira. Since 1980 has been owned by the Symington Family Estates who have used it in their Warre blend, and produced a SQVP in secondary years.
Map (Location: 41.218614, -7.554281)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1990 SQVP | Plummy colour. Lightening towards the edge. Quite subdued on the nose. In the mouth some fruit remains; very drinkable now but will fade away soon. |
A small property of 9 hectares, Colmaça has been producing Vintage Port and LBV independently since the start of the 21th Century.
Map (Location: 41.177588, -7.384593)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2003 VP | Black. Very grapey on the nose. Very austere. Bitter tannins. More Dow than Dow; it will be interesting to see how this develops. |
On the site of a monastery which dates back to 987, São Pedro has been owned since 1986 by the French company Vranken Pommery who produce a range of Ports from the Quinta for export to France.
Map (Location: 41.086096, -7.517738)
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Côtto was included in the first demarcation (1756) and was replanted in 1932 with a view to producing high quality table wines, with a small range of Ports also produced, independently.
Map (Location: 41.170708, -7.846706)
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An independently owned quinta which has provided the major component of Delaforce’s vintages since the middle of the 20th Century. SQVP has been commercially produced in secondary years since 1978.
Map (Location: 41.163164, -7.547371)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1974 SQVP | Similar colour to the 1960. Loads of eucalyptus on the nose. In the mouth, some simple sugar. Then more eucalyptus with a little orange. Very good Port in an unusual year. |
| 1980 SQVP | Similar colour to the 1980. Reddish centre fading slightly on edge. Some mint on nose. Then huge amounts of tobacco. Perhaps some smokey chicory, too. In the mouth, some sugar initially, then cherries on the mid-palate. Aftertaste is smokey and long. Very nice. |
| 1984 SQVP | Perhaps touch of the 1982. Very, very muted nose. Distantly floral. In the mouth, a little sugar, but quite hard work to get anything else. |
| 1997 SQVP | Same colour as the 1994. Slightly musty smell. Slightly hot. Alcohol obviously present. Very little fruit. Some gritty tannins but less griping than the 1994. A bit disappointing. |
First mentioned in 1615, Quinta do Crasto now independently produces Vintage Port but is perhaps better known for its high-quality Douro table wines.
Map (Location: 41.165833, -7.628056)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2001 LBV | |
| 1999 LBV | An unfiltered LBV in a half-bottles. Colour is still dark but not entirely opaque, lighting to a dark rusty colour at the rim. An hour after decanting: quite pleasant on the nose: a rich aroma with some cherries and a little rosewater. This carries on into the initial taste in the mouth, which is then followed by a bit of peppery heat. The after-taste is short but pleasant. A combination of licorice and almonds. Reading back through my notes of the 2001, the initial wateriness of this seems comparable. Fine but not great. Last of a stash of halves. Bottled 2003. Unfiltered but easy to decant freehand. Good red colour in the middle which only faded a touch to the edge. Modest fruit on the nose. In the mouth some subtle cherry, little acidity and tannins. Aftertaste is attractive with some spearmint. Although not giving many secondary characteristics, this does taste a bit over-aged: probably should have been drunk in 2015 (or perhaps 2025 for full maturity?). |
| 2007 VP | Blind sample. Dreadful. Muted and tight, there was little on the nose and less on the palate. A bit of a tannic structure but not a great deal and more worrying was a complete lack of fruit. Later this turned out not to be the final Crasto blend. The “proper” blend. Very dark. Still quite muted. Slightly floral, perhaps some liquorish. Very little tannins but a bit of acidity. Not very complex. |
| 1970 Colheita | Family bottling. Extremely nice; quite sweet with lots of toffee on the nose and mouth. |
| 2011 LBV | Excellent. |
| 1997 Colheita | Bottled 2016. |
| 2015 VP |
One of the oldest Quintas in the Douro, with records dating back to 1513. For much of the 19th Century it was the main component of Hunt, Roope & Co.’s Tuke Holdsworth Port. Between 1918 and 1938 it was used to make Graham’s before supplying Ferreira. Complete control of the Quinta was achieved by the Newman family (who had had a long-standing interest in it) in 1956 who produced a Port under their family’s name (which oddly, before 1966, was aged in Newfoundland before being shipped back to Europe for sale). In 1979 it began to be managed by Cockburn’s who used it to produce SQVP in secondary years. Since 1987 this was shipped under the Martinez label, though the 2000 was shipped under the name of the Quinta alone. The Quinta was sold in 2007 to the Taylor Fladgate Partnership for €3.25million.
Map (Location: 41.192933, -7.553562)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2000 VP | Dark, tannic, not particularly complex but quite acceptable. |
| 1982 SQVP | Nose a touch off and unpleasant. In the mouth, immediately struck by the sweetness but this was followed by a long an slightly astringent finish which wasn’t so appealing. |
A young Quinta, planted on land previously used to grow cereals in 1974 by José António Ramos Pinto Rosas. Designed with the latest innovations of the time, it was the first Quinta to be entirely mechanised, with block vertical planting by grape variety throughout. It is now a major part of Ramos Pinto’s blend, with a Single Quinta 10 Year Old Tawny being produced.
Map (Location: 41.019914, -7.112854)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| Tawny | Bright orange with a touch of pink. In the mouth, quite attractive: lots of a fruit balancing the tawniness. Perhaps even a bit of rounded tannins? Certainly the very fruit-centred: almost tastes as if it was made from three bottles of tawny and one bottle of ruby. Very similar to last time, though spoilt by too much heat and alcohol. |
Quinta do Fojo is best known for its high-quality Douro table wines but Vintage Ports have occasionally been produced.
Map (Location: 41.251589, -7.529390)
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Named “Foz” (“Mouth”) due to its location at the mouth of the Pinhão river, this Quinta (which dates to the 18th Century) has been owned by Cálem since 1885 and has been a significant component in its wines since then. SQVP has been commercially produced since 1982, in secondary years.
Map (Location: 41.189337, -7.549807)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1980 SQVP | A light and clear red in the middle. Very little on the nose. A bit spirity. Very light in the mouth. Simple fruits. Fine. Drinkable. |
Purchased by Churchill Graham in 1999, Quinta da Gricha is now used as a major part of the Churchill Vintage blend; to make SQVP in minor years; and to produce Douro table wines. The winery and lagares date back to 1852.
Map (Location: 41.189894, -7.471261)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2003 SQVP | Somewhat on the young side but good combination of fruit and tannins. |
| 2005 SQVP | Very dark but translucent red. Freshness on the nose: even grass or moss? In the mouth, there is good fruit but it does not come immediately. There are still some tannins and a little acidity. Very elegant with a good, rounded mouthfeel. Wine of the tasting. |
| 2018 SQVP | Cask sample. Opaque deep purple. Deep fruits on the nose with the inevitable mass of grapes. Very elegant balance of acid and tannins. Very approachable but with some backbone. Interesting to see how it gets on in future. |
| 2009 SQVP | Apparently a special blend for the Port Club. Decent amount of sediment. Surprisingly light colour: translucent in the middle, going from a deep red to a light reddish-orange. Nose is good with concentrated red cherries. In the mouth, there is an instant taste of orange but this is immediately followed by a good mixture of blackcurrants and cherries. There are still quite strong tannins and beautifully balanced acidity but the aftertaste is perhaps a touch shorter than I might have hoped. Quite a dry sensation, too which with the tannins gives it an almost Dow-like austerity. Will be interesting to see how this one develops. |
| 2007 SQVP | Quinta da Gricha. Deep purple, fading a little. Quite floral on the nose. In the mouth elegant, less sweet than many Ports, with few tannins left. A really enjoyable Port. |
Infantado was established 1816, and used to supply wines to Taylor’s and Sandeman. A particularly innovated Quinta, it was one of the first to start selling the full range of Port independently in 1979. Other unusual features are the use of organic farming; a single varietal Vintage Port (produced in 1991); and high-quality LBVs which are only made in years when a VP is not declared out of what would be the VP blend.
Map (Location: 41.174067, -7.580298)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2001 LBV | Colour: inky black; a little purple on the rim. Very little, thick sediment. Blackcurrant; unusual light feel. Extremely good. Worth extra expense. |
| 1996 LBV | Vinologia. Beginning to mature. Slightly strange on the nose: perhaps barbecue sauce? Not terribly sweet but otherwise attractive. |
| 2004 LBV | Bottled 2008. Drunk: Christmas Eve, 2017. Deep, clear, red. Good simple fruit on the nose. In the mouth, some immediate fruit; almost no tannins; good acidty. Short aftertaste. Strong red currants and related fruits. About as good as one would wish for in an LBV. As I thought: clearly a mistake to drink these at under 10 years! Very dark but more red and brown than purple. The nose is attractive. Complex with some mint. In the mouth, it is a curious mix. Not lots of fruit, nor very sweet. A rather nice and complex mix of subtle flavours. |
| 2007 LBV | Very little on the nose. In the mouth extra-ordinary sensation entirely unlike other Ports I have tried: the alcohol and tannins seemed simply not to exist. The most expressive of Infantado’s house style I have found. Others will probably hate this, but I thought it was excellent. |
| 2004 VP | Some soft alcohol on the nose. Big fruits and round tannins in the mouth. Lovely spicy aftertaste. |
| 1997 VP | Pinkish / purple in colour. Some soft fruits on the nose. More fruit and spices in the mouth. Round tannins. Fantastic. |
| White | Glass at Vinoteca. The bottle advertises it as dry / seco; the blackboard in the bar more accurately says it is medium. A light amber with quite a bit of redness, like a pale rosé. Served very cold, there is little on the nose; a little sherry-like alcohol, perhaps. In the mouth, initially medium sweet, with a little saltiness, some almonds, perhaps a tiny distant fruit. Both dry and refreshing and also clearly a Port, this is extremely good and one of the best basic whites I can remember trying. |
The “Quinta of the Boar” was extensively replanted in 1985. Since 2000 it has produced a range of Port and Douro tablel wines independently.
Map (Location: 41.173534, -7.379529)
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Developed by Borges & Irmão who bought it in 1906, Junco was sold to Taylor Fladgate Partnership in 1998. It is now used in the Taylor’s blend. A Single Quinta Colheita was produced in 1970.
Map (Location: 41.205385, -7.553304)
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Named after a Roman-period Jewish statute found on its roof, Quinta do Judeu has been owned by the Alves de Carvalho family sine 1932 who now use it to make high-quality table wines independently.
Map (Location: 41.163961, -7.769139)
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A modern quinta, planted in 1979, Quinta da Leda was restored in the early years of this Century by Sogrape Vinhos, who now use it for the production of tables wines for the Casa Ferreirinha brand.
Map (Location: 41.020531, -7.011573)
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A particularly large Quinta which has been an important part of the Graham’s blend since 1924. Formerly independently owned, it was leased to Graham’s in 2002 for 25 years.
Map (Location: 41.156169, -7.512782)
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A small property which is owned by Smith Woodhouse and provides an important part of the Smith Woodhouse blend. SQVP has been commercially produced since 1988, in secondary years.
Map (Location: 41.159271, -7.508876)
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The Quinta of the “bad ways” has been associated with Graham’s since being purchased by the Graham family in 1890 and has become an increasingly important component of its Ports since then. A “Graham’s Mavledos” has been produced since 1950 in secondary years, although this has only been marked as a SQVP (“Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos”) since 1998, as, before then, it was often a blended wine.
Map (Location: 41.215833, -7.440556)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1957 SQVP | Exactly the same colour as the 1955. Not so elegant on the nose but still quite well formed. Markedly sweeter on the initial palate followed by a hugely long, elegant, aftertaste. |
| 1958 SQVP | Slightly darker than the 1957. Very nice on the nose with a surprising amount of fruit left. Sweet and rounded in the mouth. Very attractive. |
| 1962 SQVP | Similar colour to the 1958 but slightly less pinkish on the edge of the meniscus. The oldest wine to show the straight-forward elegance and balance of the older Malvedos. |
| 1964 SQVP | A measure darker than the 1962. Attractively floral on the nose. Slightly less complex in the mouth than on the nose, but beautifully straight-forward and elegant wine. |
| 1965 SQVP | A very nice Port. Extremely smooth in the mouth with a beautiful elegance and balance. |
| 1978 SQVP | Slightly darker than the 1976 and probably slightly corked due a slight mustiness on the nose. In the mouth it was very expressive and a great pleasure to drink; it would be nice to see what a perfect bottle of this wine would be like. |
| 1979 SQVP | Same colour as the 1978 but with more raisins and a touch of pine or varnish on the nose. In the mouth, a touch astringent and therefore a tiny bit disappointing. |
| 1982 SQVP | Markedly darker than the 1979; there was a huge jump in colour between the place mat from the late 1960s/1970s and the one from the 1980s. Not particularly dramatic on the nose, but with quite a lot of fruit. Very nice and elegant in the mouth, perhaps still showing some soft and gentle tannins. |
| 1984 SQVP | Similar colour to the 1982, though perhaps a touch lighter. Very floral on the nose, certainly more elegant than the 1982. On tasting, it was immediately very attractive. Well balanced and elegant, although perhaps there was an ever-so-slight amount of astringency at the end of the aftertaste. |
| 1986 SQVP | Extremely dark; perhaps twice as dark compared to the 1985. Oldest wine to still have a notably tannic backbone. Massive nose but perhaps ever so slightly less fruit than the 1987 which probably just beat it. |
| 1987 SQVP | Extremely dark and tannic. Probably a bit too dark and tannic to be drunk now. Excellent. Extremely dark. Huge nose, full of fruit. Spectacularly sweet initially followed by a long, slightly dry, aftertaste perhaps fading into a touch of bitterness. Excellent. Best young Port of the evening (better than the 1985 Graham’s). |
| 1988 SQVP | Quite dark. Perhaps a touch less spirited on the nose compared to the monumental ones from 1985-7. Touch of green stalks perhaps. Sweetness initially followed by a dryish after taste. Very nice and attractive. |
| 1990 SQVP | Dead. Tobacco on the nose, undrinkable in the mouth. |
| 1995 SQVP | A damaged half bottle, unfortunately, with an oddly stewed sensation on the nose and in the mouth. Not damaged beyond drinkability but certainly not great. Thankfully undamaged half bottle. Fine. |
| 1996 SQVP | Very nice |
| 1998 SQVP | A touch darker than the 1996 and with a touch more complexity and interest. Malvedos is probably the first SQVP where I think the 1998 is likely to be better than the 1996. |
| 2001 SQVP | Somewhat simpler than many of the other Malvedos, this was an complex and attractive Port, with quite a lot of sweetness. Very nice. Drinking very nicely at the moment. Good complex tastes. |
| 2004 SQVP | |
| 2006 SQVP | |
| 2008 SQVP | “Work in progress” cask sample. Violets. Opaque purple. Fading a bit on the edges to dark purple but still very dark. Lovely concentrated blackcurrants on the nose. Quite elegant too. In the mouth, good blackcurrants, again. Quite strong tannins. Very robust but with a gentle edge (iron fist in a velvet glove territory). Good acidity. The sweetness is balanced rather than strong. This is really enjoyable but needs a few more years. |
| 1976 SQVP | A bit redder than the 1970. Horrible problems on the nose. Possibly quite reasonable on the nose had it survived. Dead; probably this is a weak Port. |
| 2009 SQVP | In the mouth, the sweetness is immediately notable, along with an explosion of fruit. Very good, but perhaps a touch less expressive and interesting than the 2009 Quinta dos Canais. |
| 1992 SQVP | Dead. Not quite entirely there on the nose. Nice but not great in the mouth. Good deep colour. Nicely tannic with robust red fruit. Deep opaque centre. Fades to red edge. Good Porty smell. Good mild tannins. Nicely rounded. Not quite as much fruit as required to be excellent but perhaps it requires another 10 years to open? Tasting blind, preferred to the Graham’s 1991. |
| 1999 SQVP | Quite dark in colour but disappointingly mute on the nose and in the mouth. Very closed. Give it time and it might mature into something more interesting. Same colour as the other 1999s. Slightly subdued compared to the Bomfim on the nose. In the mouth this was hard work with some primary fruits and sugar appearing, but it felt rather closed and inaccessible at the moment. Good purply-red centre. Just about opaque. Reddish edge. Nose a step better than anything else at the tasting. Very expressive with lots of red fruits. In the mouth, extremely sweet: a hit of icing sugar. Then followed by some light fruits. Perhaps moving into strawberries? Some residual tannins. Short aftertaste. Pretty good Port and one which is becoming drinkable again. |
A long-established Quinta, which traces its history back to 1496, which was bought and extensively refurbished by Niepoort in 1987. It now contains a large, state-of-the-art winemaking facility, with the wines from the Quinta being used in the Niepoort blend and to make a number of Douro table wines.
Map (Location: 41.148805, -7.642552)
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Although the date 1764 appears over the property, the Quinta is older, being included in the first demarcation of the Douro (1756). The property was bought by the Real Companhia Velha in 1987 who sold it to Burmester in 1991. Burmester ran the Quinta as a separate label, producing SQVP in both major and lesser years. The Quinta was then acquired in 1999 by the Amorim family (better known as leading cork producers) who, since 2005 have been operating independently, producing a small range of Port and Douro table wines.
Map (Location: 41.162114, -7.595608)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| Ruby | Soft fruit on the nose. Similar in mouth but a bit spirity. Fine but unexciting. |
| Ruby | Normal reserve. Similar to the CLÃ. Softer fruit, though, and a more rounded elegant wine, with everything falling into place making it an excellent ruby to try. |
| 2005 LBV | Very light colour. Soft fruit on the nose and a very, very subtle taste which is let down by a little heat. |
| 2012 LBV | Excellent unfiltered LBV. Very fresh. Good fruit. |
| 2013 LBV | Unfiltered LBV. Lots of grapes on the nose, with good fruit. Quite tannic and acidic. Needs some time to open up. Will then improve. |
| 2009 VP |
Not a separate Quinta but a small part of the Noval property, planted in the early-to-mid 1920s. It is notable for being one of the few post-phylloxera vineyards where the grapes are grown ungrafted (i.e. on their own, rather than American, root-stock). In most major years, Noval produces a premium Vintage Port from the Nacional wines, which usually commands 10 times the price of the normal Noval.
Map (Location: 41.213594, -7.536122)
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First mentioned in 1715, Quinta do Noval is the most prominent Port company to be named after its main Quinta. This was primarily due to the work of António José da Silva who bought the Quinta in 1894 and spent the next 30 years developing it and marketing the wines. His descendants (laterly the van Zellers) continued to run the company until 1993 when it was sold to the insurance company AXA. A full range of Ports are produced, with those made on the Quinta being labelled as “Quinta do Noval” and those blended from other properties simply as “Noval”.
Map (Location: 41.213333, -7.537778)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2001 LBV | |
| Ruby | Single glass at a dinner. Horrific. |
| 2007 SQVP | Blind sample. Most interesting of the 2007s drunk that night. Not the best to drink on the night, nor the dark tannic monster that one would expect a very young Vintage Port to be. One the nose the was tobacco and a certain spiciness. Followed up,by more complex flavours including a fair bit of rhubarb. Slightly less tannic than Niepoort, it was an interesting Port which I look forward to revisiting when it is more mature. |
| 2007 VP | Blind sample. Really shinned. Perfectly drinkable despite being so young. Very floral on the nose. Probably the best of the Ports at the moment. I wrote that it had “more tannins [than Quinta da Romaneira]” which might be a good sign for its long-term maturity. |
| 1931 VP | Leaking bottle. Ever so slightly cloudy. Pungent and woody on the nose. Perhaps slight varnish which carries on to the mouth. Slightly bitter with a fruity aftertaste. |
| 1975 VP | |
| 1966 VP | Light in colour and with dried fruits on the nose. Fairly well mature. A very pleasant way to start the evening. Amber in the centre, fading to light orange. A stack of fresh spearmint on the nose. No fresh fruit left in the mouth, but a glorious sense of marzipan and dried fruit like cherries. Very long aftertaste with caramel. Excellent Port to drink now. |
| 1967 VP | |
| 1966 VP | |
| 1967 VP | |
| 1963 VP | (Two separate bottles were consumed). |
| 1995 LBV | A rarely-produced second label for Noval which is shipped entirely to the UK. |
| Tawny | |
| Ruby | Nice fruity and grapey nose, very much like a young VP. Then extremely dense and tannic in the mouth. Would be brilliant if it was either sold unfiltered or pre-aged at the lodge, so it would be a bit softer and more mature when drunk. Some six years since I last tried this, it was a little more approachable with good dense fruits and less tannins. Very drinkable. Compared to first trying this in 2010, there was far less Vintage-Port-like aroma on the nose. In the mouth it was very austere, with little obvious sweetness or fruit. If I had been drinking it blind, I’d have suggested it was a Dow. I struggled to enjoy it this time, unfortunately. |
| 1982 VP | No nose at all. Nice dark colour though. Subtle red fruit. A little too understated. |
| 1970 VP | |
| 1991 VP | Good red colour. Slightly corked on the nose but not unbearably. Some elegant fruit. Sweetness predominates. Would be nice if not corked. |
| 2004 LBV | Now made exclusively with grapes from the Quinta, this LBV was a touch darker than the other 2004 LBVs tasted and was also younger on the nose, with those complex aromas of a very young Port still being obvious. In the mouth, surprisingly dry and tannic. Almost as austere as a Dow, with very little primary fruit being present. |
| 2008 VP | Very dark and grapey on the nose. Huge explosion of flowers in the mouth, with some fruit and soft round tannins supporting them. Very good. |
| 1945 VP | Good red colour. Horrible bottle stink. In the mouth, some slight rounded cherries. Followed by long, woody, aftertaste but let down, alas, by the bottle stink. |
| 1955 VP | Excellent. Sweet with some fruit. |
| Tawny | Deep red colour. Initially lots of fruit. Followed by extremely long aftertaste combining nuts and Marzipan. Very nice. |
| 2013 VP | |
| Tawny | |
| 2009 LBV | Unfiltered LBV which I coravined. No bottling date. Deep purple in the middle, fading to purple-red on the rim. Not great on the nose. Some pepper but it feels a little too assertive and disjointed. Quite similar in the mouth. Limited acidity and no noticeable tannins initially. However, quite a lot of grip at the back of the throat which might suggest it will come together in the future. |
| 2000 Colheita | |
| 2017 VP | Opaque purple, fading to indigo on the rim. Deep concentrated fruit on the nose. Some grapes, too. In the mouth, stacks of tannins and pronounced acidity. Good balance of red currants, blackberry and other red fruits. Some floral tones, too. Very elegant for a young vintage port with the potential to be excellent. |
| 2011 VP | Opaque purple, fading to red on the edge. Less pronounced fruit on the nose than the 2017 and hardly any grapes. Exceptional elegance in the mouth: blackcurrants and some fresh red cherries. Very tannic but less acidic than the 2017. Endless aftertaste: much longer than the other Ports from QdN in this tasting. Probably not drinking at its best now, but clearly excellent for the future. |
| 2003 VP | Very similar colours as the 2011: opaque purple, fading to red on the edge. More classically “porty” than the younger QdN VPs on the nose, but with fruits more subdued than the 2000 or 2011. A notable amount of sugar in the mouth (something not otherwise present in the QdN Ports). Stacks and stacks of tannins remain but the low acidity means that it is drinkable now as well as being suitable for keeping for the long term. |
| 2000 VP | Just edging away from opaque in the centre, but still dark purple fading to red. Very similar nose to the 2003 with concentrated red fruits. Again, a lot of tannins which are immediately present in the mouth followed by incredible concentration of fruit. The acidity is balanced. The concentration of fruit and tannins make it seem a little less expressive than the 2003 for drinking now. Needs more time. |
| 1994 VP | Red throughout; fading towards the edge. Concentrated jammy fruit on the nose, with some marzipan. In the mouth, the tannins are no obvious on first tasting unlike the younger QdNs, although they are still present. The sugar is well balanced, as is the acidity. The aftertaste is extremely long. Excellent quaffing Port: could easily drink a bottle. |
| 2007 VP | |
| White | Quinta do Noval Tasting Room, Porto. Quinta do Noval Tasting Room, Porto. Very pale. Straw. Nose is oddly spicy. In the mouth some nice fruits, particularly pineapple but a horrible grippy acidity. Pretty dry. Like one of those fashioned whites. Disappointing. |
| 2013 LBV | Quinta do Noval Tasting Room, Porto. Unfiltered. Deep purple fading to red. Little fruit on the nose. Mouth has wonderful complexity and backbone. Quite austere and dry but wonderfully structured. This is really good. Perhaps a few more years? |
| 1996 SQVP | Quinta do Noval Tasting Room, Porto. Still quite dark in the middle but the edge is starting to lose its colour. Lovely nose of mature Port. Mouth had good initial sugar but limited fruit. Some structure and light acidity follows. Reasonable aftertaste. Perfectly respectable for a 1996 second label. |
| 2019 VP | Quinta do Noval Tasting Room, Porto. Dark centre but a surprisingly red rim. Thick grapy nose. Mouth is immensely tannic immediately with thick red fruits. But it is not excessive and is followed by the structured complexity I might expect from recent Novals. So much better than the Passadouro 2019 which seems simple by comparison. A very very good Port |
| 1980 VP | Orangey-red. Nose fell apart and became astringent. In the mouth, a touch of acid. Almost no fruit. Disappointing aftertaste. Really disappointing for what this is. |
First mentioned in 1738, Pacheca has been independently owned by the Pimentel family since 1903. Much of the grapes are used to make Douro table wine. The Port from the Quinta was formerly sold to Cockburn’s but since about 2000, a small range of Ports have been independently made and sold.
Map (Location: 41.155733, -7.798340)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2003 LBV | Loads of sediment so obviously unfiltered. Very dark in colour, nose and palate. A strong rancio dominates, though, which is somewhat unattractive to me. |
Panascal was acquired by Fonseca in 1978, although the wines from it had been an important component in the Fonseca Vintage Port for at least 20 years before that. SQVP has been produced occasionally, in secondary years.
Map (Location: 41.146798, -7.573131)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1996 SQVP | |
| 1998 SQVP | Very similar to the 1998 Fonseca Guimaraens. Some cherries on the nose. Attractive in the mouth, though perhaps with the merest touch of astringency meeting its sweetness. |
| 2004 SQVP | A bit more burnt red than purple in the middle than the Vargellas ’04. Fading a little to the edge. More youthful on the nose: concentrated fruits (cherries and maybe blackcurrants). In the mouth, rounded fruits; very gentle tannins and good acidity. The fruit structure is more attractive to me than the Vargellas ’04 at the moment, although the after-taste is a bit more tannin-driven. If I had to choose between the two of them I would go for this one. |
Bought by a German, Dieter Bohrmann, in 1991, a range of table wines and Port were made at Passadouro in collaboration with Niepoort until 2004 when they started to be produced entirely independently.
Map (Location: 41.235075, -7.531246)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2005 LBV | LBV 79 Restaurant. Dark and fruity with lots of life. An LBV which bodes well for the future. |
| 1997 VP | Deep purple. Quite muted on the nose. Slightly bitter. Very drinkable but without a great complexity. One for quaffing! |
| 2004 VP | Some cherries on the nose. Quite closed on the palate but more expressive than the 2007, with a certain amount of spiciness. Very nice. |
| 2007 VP | Some fruit present on the nose but the aroma is subtle. In the mouth the driest and most tannic of the 2007s on show. Very hard to access for that reason: needs much time to open-out. |
| 2005 LBV | Some fruit on the nose but, overall a very soft sensation with a slight amount of rancio. Fine, but slightly unexciting. |
| 2014 VP | Very nice with good tannins. |
| 2010 LBV | Dark. Good fruits. Needs more time. |
| 2019 VP | Quinta do Noval Tasting Room, Porto. Dark centre fading slightly. Complex on the nose but without the heavy grapes of the 2019 Noval. Mouth is elegant with decent sweetness and acidity but only modest tannins. Not sure this is one for the very long-haul. |
Map (Location: 41.162001, -7.570374)
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The eponyous property of Quinta do Portal, a shipper set up in 1991 Mansilha family who have been historic owners of number of properties in the area. A range of Port, Douro table wine and fortified Moscatel are produced, although the majority of the wines for the Quinta do Portal vintage blend are grown not on Portal but on Quinta dos Muros.
Map (Location: 41.243728, -7.555164)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2006 VP | Vinologia. Could easily have been one of the 2007s. Extremely dark with a huge amount of fruit on the nose with, perhaps, a touch of chocolate. In the mouth there was even more fruit with, perhaps, red-currants and black cherries being the most obvious ones. This was followed up with huge tannins, and very little sugar or alcohol. |
| Tawny | Very nice. Quite brown. Good mixture of old and new wines. |
| Tawny | Free glass of the basic tawny thrown in with a boat trip. Not great. |
| 2011 VP | Quite floral. Not massively tannic. Very quaff-able. Slightly reminiscent of the 2007s when young. The tour guide suggested it was the best VP produced by Portal. I was slightly concerned about its longevity. |
| Ruby | As expected! |
| 2000 LBV | Bought a few years ago at the quinta.Lots of very fine sediment. Good red colour, fading a little to the edge. Very good on the nose. Stack of red fruits. In the mouth, hit of simple sugar. A few red fruits such as strawberry. Limited acidity and almost no tannins. Very quaffable but I am not convinced this is a bottle for the long term. Loads of fine sediment. Still quite dark but red-ish in the centre. Good fruit but quite simple. Very drinkable now. |
Porto was extensively developed in the mid-19th Century by Dona Antónia Ferreira, who purchased it in 1863. Since then it has remained associated with Ferreira, who now use it to make a Single Quinta 10 Year Old Tawny.
Map (Location: 41.173574, -7.564430)
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Bought by Manoel Poças in 1923 and associated with his company, Poças, since 1988, this Quartas is now mostly used for winemaking and maturing.
Map (Location: 41.155208, -7.835333)
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Purchased by Wiese & Krohn in 1989 as their main Douro property for producing Port wine.
Map (Location: 41.159582, -7.522802)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2007 SQVP | Vinologia. Chocolate and marzipan on the nose. Lots of cherries in the mouth. No obvious tannins; extremely pleasant to drink. Will this last? |
| 2005 SQVP | Lots of sediment. Not particularly dark for a 11-year-old VP. Rather disappointing in the mouth. Insufficiently complex. |
| 2004 SQVP | Quite a lot of sediment. Still quite youthful but showing some maturity. Very drinkable and excellent value (c.£20 a bottle full price). |
Planted in the early 18thP Century, Roeda was purchased by John Fladgate (the middle anamed partner in the Taylor Fladgate Partnership) in 1862 who was subsequently elevated to the title of “Barão de Roêda”. When Fladgate’s daughter married Charles Wright of Croft’s in 1875, the property became associated with that shipper and became the key component of its vintage blends. SQVP is produced in minor and some major years.
Map (Location: 41.185146, -7.530613)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1995 SQVP | |
| 2005 SQVP | Dark. Dense multi-faceted fruit on the nose. Black currants, perhaps, along with dark cherries. A touch of heat though. In the mouth, a lovely unctuous mouth-feel. Not particularly sweet, nor strong on fruit, but well balanced and elegant. |
| 1967 SQVP | Very nice, one of the best 1967 SQVPs. |
| 1982 SQVP | Brick red, though slightly muted on the nose. Very enjoyable but noticeable less elegant than the Churchill 1982. |
| 1997 SQVP | Huge fruit on the nose which was let down badly on the palate where odd taste distinctly lacking in fruit prevailed. Perhaps under-decanted? |
| 2012 SQVP | |
| 2015 SQVP | |
| 2018 SQVP | |
| 1980 SQVP | Quite light pink fading to brown. Slightly cloudy. Quite a bit of coffee on the nose, although this blew off after a while. Very little in the mouth: simple sugar and fruit. |
One of the largest properties in the Douro, Romaneira has had a long and complex history. Some of the earliest SQVP known to have been exported (a Romaneira 1861) were produced on the Quinta. For much of the 20th Century the Quinta was controlled by Borges & Irmão, through the personal ownership of a director, António Borges Vinagre whose family started producing a range of Ports from the Quinta, independently, in 1985.
Map (Location: 41.202213, -7.497236)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2007 VP | Blind sample. Was one of the best two samples on the night. Extremely drinkable it was probably the most floral of the samples (although there was also a heavy grapeyness). The tannins were quite light; it does make me wonder how long this vintage will last. Second after Noval. Very floral on the nose. Soft and elegant in mouth. Extremely drinkable. Excellent. |
| 2004 VP | Spicy fruit on the nose. Again very soft in the mouth but with much more robust tannins. Probably excellent after many years. |
| 2004 LBV | Very soft and fruit-full. Entirely gluggable. |
| 2010 LBV | Unfiltered. Very nice and drinkable. |
| Tawny | |
| 2011 VP | |
| 1986 LBV |
Historically one of the most famous Quintas in the Douro, with a long history beginning with the building of a shooting lodge on the site by a Scot, Robert Archibald, in the early 18th Century. Roriz was the first Quinta from which Single Quinta wines were exported, by C.N. Kopke (perhaps as early as the late 18th Century, though bottles of SQVP from 1832 are known). In the early 20th Century, the wines were sold under the Roriz label until the 1930s when they were blended into Ferreira and Quinta do Noval. From 1999 a range of Port and Douro wines was produced by the van Zeller family (formerly owners of Quinta do Noval), in collaboration with the Symington Family Estates. The later bought the Quinta outright in 2009.
Map (Location: 41.194875, -7.477934)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1991 VP | Lightening on the edge. Some fruit. A bit austere. Closed down; needs more years. |
| 2000 VP | Completely opaque. Fades to red on the rim. Floral perfumed nose. Good fruit with rounded tannins and some floral notes. Mid-dry. Longish aftertaste. Quite closed down. Probably very good when it matures. |
| 2004 VP | |
| 2003 VP | Deep opaque centre, fading to red on the rim. Very dense, concentrated nose. Blackcurrants predominant. Maybe a little mint? In the mouth, an immediate touch of sugar, then strong blackcurrants, followed by heavy tannins. This feels like an old-style classic Vintage Port, a bit Dow-like, which requires a very long time to mature. |
| 2005 VP |
de la Rosa’s history dates from 1906 when it was bought, renamed and given to Claire Feuerheerd as a christening present. The Quinta was initially used to produce Feuerheerd port (now sold as Hutcheson Feuerheerd by Barros) with several SQVP being produced. In the middle of the Century, the wines were sold to Robertson’s Rebello Valente before independent production of Port restarted in 1988.
Map (Location: 41.182013, -7.552779)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| Ruby | Couple of years old. Bought at the Quinta. Very small amount of very thick sediment. Ok fruit. Bit too spirity. Quinta de la Rosa. Good fruit. Extremely high quality. Worth seeking out. |
| 1999 LBV | Quinta de la Rosa. Fine, maturing LBV. Let down by a certain amount of rancio on the nose. A little unclear from the label whether this is filtered or not. Decanting produced a modest amount of sediment. The colour is a deep blood-red in the centre fading through light red to the edge. Maybe a touch of cloudiness. The nose is good: deep complexity of baked cherries and other dark fruits. The mouth has little initial fruit and feels immediately quite dry. The acidity is pronouced and lemony. There are a few tannins left. The aftertaste is long but is dominated by the acid rather than fruit. It is just not sufficiently expressive for me, unfortunately. A bit too Dow-like for me and my palate. |
| 2005 LBV | Quinta de la Rosa. Ok but not terribly exciting. Somewhat disappointing after the Ruby Reserve. |
| White | Served with tonic. Fine in that context! |
| Tawny | |
| Tawny | |
| Ruby | Quinta de la Rosa. Not a great deal of fruit. A little weak, especially compared to the Reserve. |
| 1991 VP | Still very dark with only a little lightening. Not great on the nose: licorice and pepper. Very nice and attractive in the mouth. Milk chocolate predominates. One of the better 1991s I have tried for drinking now. |
| 1997 Colheita | |
| 2014 VP | Good but perhaps not as interesting or complex as some of the other 2014s. |
| 2008 Colheita | Very little time in wood. Only the slightest tawny characteristic. Perhaps worth revisiting but drinking with ruby ports for comparison? |
| 2012 VP | |
| Tawny | Gift in a clear 50cl bottle with a t-cork. Surprisingly light in the middle: orange with a touch of pink; fades through to transparency at the edge. Quite austere on the nose; a little fruit with not a lot else. In the mouth, again rather austere. Almost orange-like in flavour with little immediate sugar or acidity. A very long aftertaste full of caramel follows. This is rather unlike many 20-year-old tawnies I have tried but is very drinkable. |
| 2015 VP | Deep purple fading. Good nose but floral. Some marzipan. Enjoyable. In the mouth, quite elegant. Low acidity and tannin. Blackcurrants. Very drinkable now. |
| 2017 VP | Deep purple. Fading a bit. Huge unexpected nose of elderflower. Again, very elegant to drink. Low acidity and tannin. Good fruit. Extremely drinkable. |
Probably founded in the 19th Century, São Luiz was bought by C.N. Kopke in 1922 who have used it as an important component of their Vintage Ports (to the extent that many vintages have been, in effect, SQVP).
Map (Location: 41.157526, -7.616605)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1970 SQVP | Excellent; a revelation |
| 1977 SQVP | Dead, unfortunately. Perhaps a touch of the St. Luiz ’70? |
First mentioned in the mid 19th Century, the Quinta was bought by Sousa Guedes towards the end of the Century, who used it in their Port until it was purchased by Ferreira in 1979. It is now contains the main winemaking facility for Ferreira, as well as contributing its own wine to the Ferreira blend. A single SQVP, a 1983, has been produced.
Map (Location: 41.167792, -7.555300)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2013 SQVP | Decanted and drunk shortly afterwards. Good fruit on nose and in mouth but no tannins or structure whatsoever. Would probably have placed this into a good Ruby Reserve category rather than a just-released SVQP. Will be interesting to see if it matures. |
Purchased by George Warre in 1889 for Silva & Cosens who used it in the Dow’s blend. The Quinta was sold in 1952 by the Symington Family Estates (who, by then, owned Dow’s), and the wines sold to other shippers, but was re-bought in 1988 and is again used to Dow’s VP. SQVP has been occassionally produced in secondary years.
Map (Location: 41.146584, -7.260128)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2009 SQVP | Violets on the nose. Some heat, too. Fruit not as vibrant as one might expect. Will be interesting to see how this develops. It may need more time to open. |
| 2006 SQVP |
Previously know as Quinta do Jordão, after the family who owned it before 1934, and Quinta do Pinheiro (“of the pine trees”). Dating from the at least the 19th Century, it was owned by the Real Companhia Velha for much of the 20th, with some SQVP being produced. In the 21st Century, the wine was often sold to Graham’s who bought the property in 2012 since it adjoins Quinta dos Malvedos, their most important Quinta.
Map (Location: 41.210285, -7.460403)
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Planted in the early th Century by the Marquês de Soveral in whose family it was passed down until being purchased by Real Companhia Velha in 1972 who now use it in the their cheaper Port blends.
Map (Location: 41.145053, -7.398005)
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Map (Location: 41.230690, -7.528977)
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Map (Location: 41.139203, -7.394528)
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Purchased in 1992 by Vincent Bouchard, who had grown up in Burgundy, Tedo now independently produces a range of Ports and Douro table wines.
Map (Location: 41.156864, -7.640347)
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The current Quinta de Terra Feita has been created by Taylor’s acquiring and merging four separate Quintas (which had been a longstanding contributor to the Taylor’s blend for over a Century) between 1974 and 1990. SQVP has been produced, commercially, in secondary years since 1986.
Map (Location: 41.228733, -7.544861)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1996 SQVP | Still quite dark in the middle. Purple fading to maroon. Quite concentrated on the nose- dark cherries. Very spirity but this may just be an under-decanting issue. Mouth is attractive. Round red cherries, some rose or Turkish delight. Decent amount of immediate acidity which fades with the sugar to a sensation of sherbet. Tannins are quite rounded. Aftertaste is quite short. Elegant; needs a few more years and proper decanting. Enjoyable. |
| 1999 SQVP | Sample glass at the time of decanting was quite unpleasant. Far too much alcohol. All other flavours obscured. Improved a bit after an hour or so. Greatly improved after about a day. Then, on the nose, lots of blackberries. In the mouth, a little disappointing: a bit musty in the back of the throat. Returned to the bottle a couple of days latter. Musty sensation had almost entirely disappeared with the sugar tasting ever so treacly. Extremely light to drink. |
| 2001 SQVP | Deep red. Good porty nose. Rather limited in the mouth in terms of tannins and fruit. Very drinkable, however. |
Map (Location: 41.159203, -7.395528)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2000 Colheita | Bottled 2013. Still deep ruby in the middle, fading to an orange edge. Nose: slightly musty, minimal dried fruits but distant red currants like an older vintage. Mouth: very mild. Little fruit (fresh or dried); very little acidity; some tannins. Aftertaste is longish but very gentle. Quaffable but would not rush to repeat. |
Formerly owned, but not extensively used, by Dona Antónia Ferreira, the land currently occupied by Tua was bought by Cockburn’s in 1889 and extensively replanted. In 1973 the neighbouring Quinta da Chousa was purchased and merged with Tua and the wines provided and important part of the Cockburn’s blend until 2006 when the Quinta was sold to Graham’s. A single SQVP, a 1987, has been produced.
Map (Location: 41.212113, -7.428110)
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Map (Location: 41.138970, -7.355457)
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Dating from at least the mid 19th Century, wines from Vale de Dona Maria were formerly used in the Smith Woodhouse blend. In 1996 the property was purchased by Cristiano van Zeller, whose family had formerly owned Quinta do Noval. It now produces, independently, a range of Ports and Douro table wines.
Map (Location: 41.165159, -7.511730)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2003 VP | Very dark. Very austere on the nose. More fruity in the mouth and somewhat rounded. Good tannins. Nice. |
| Ruby | |
| Ruby |
Purchased by Dona Antónia Ferreira in 1877, Vale Meão provided wines for the Ferreira blend until Ferreira’s great-great-grandson, Vito Olazabal, bought out his relatives in 1994 and started producing a range of Ports and table wines, independently, in 1999.
Map (Location: 41.148874, -7.128110)
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Dating from 1716, Vallado has been owned by the Ferreira family since Dona Antónia Ferreira purchased it in the 19th Century. Since 1995 the Quinta has been producing, independently, a range of Douro table wines and Single Quinta 10- and 20-year old tawny Ports.
Map (Location: 41.162361, -7.766167)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| Tawny | Tasting at Quinta do Vallado. Nice: better than the 10 year old but probably would not go out of my way to drink it. |
| Tawny | Tasting at Quinta do Vallado. Fine but a little unexciting. Orange centre fading to colourless. Looked older than it was. Nose obscured by being served too warm- more spirit than it should be. Some fresh fruit left in the palate with gentle sugar and acidity. Moderately long aftertaste. Very drinkable- better than I remember. |
| Tawny | Excellent. The best of the aged tawnies from Quinta do Vallado. Curiously darker than the 40-year old; a pale amber which combines a good tawny-like fruit with some aged amber characteristics. Good residual acidity and extremely long after-taste. |
| Tawny | A little disappointing after the 30-year-old. Unexpectedly darker than its younger cousin, it had a disappointingly alcoholic taste with an excessive lack of aftertaste. Casa do Rio. Similar to the previous experience: a little disappointing. |
| White | Good balance of sweetness and sugar. Very tasty: one of the better basic whites. Casa do Rio. Very much as previously. An enjoyable basic white Port. |
Formerly three separate Quintas which were purchased by Taylor’s from the Ferreira family between 1893 and 1896. Since 1908 Vargellas has been the primary component in the Taylor’s Vintage blend. The Ferreiras exported and sold SQVP in the 19th Century, with Taylor’s producing them in secondary years since at least 1910, and marketing them commercially since 1958. In 1970 a commemorative Vargellas was produced from vineyards about to be lost due to the damming of the Douro. Since 1995 a premium Vargellas “Vinha Velha” has been produced in certain major and secondary years from the grapes of a small plot of old vines.
Map (Location: 41.142778, -7.315833)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1996 SQVP | Generally regarded as “closed”. With time will probably be great. |
| 1997 SQVP | |
| 1967 SQVP | Corney and Barrow bottling. Bottled 1969. Nose is surprisingly subdued, with a slight turmeric-like spiciness. In the mouth, quite lovely; it is showing a bit of the traits of the ’64, with only a little sugar, some pepper and turmeric. This leads to a surprisingly bitter aftertaste, although not in an unpleasant way. Although the tannins have faded, it is still quite complex and it lasts a great deal of time in the mouth. Oporto bottled in 1970. Slightly darker, with a touch more fruit than the Corney and Barrow bottled 1969, but without the complexity of the maturer bottles. |
| 1964 SQVP | Still dark, and showing quite a lot of fire. In the mouth, a bit of pepper, with perhaps a little of the grassiness which re-emerged with some of the younger Vargellas. |
| 1965 SQVP | On the nose of this was a huge amount of toffee and caramel. In the mouth, quite similar to the 64, with perhaps ever-so-slightly less fire and pepper. |
| 1972 SQVP | Not generally liked. |
| 1978 SQVP | A measure darker than its older brethren at the tasting and likewise tasted a bit younger, with some more fruit and heat than was present in the others. It also seemed a bit simpler on the palate. On revisiting the next night, nose is more muted than on the other Vargellas only a little spirit. Perhaps the bottle was corked. The toffee of some of the Vargellas is also there, though only slightly, as is a slight grassiness. On the palate, it is initially quite muted, fading into a little pepper, with an extra sweetness (say of strawberry syrup) which is lacking in the 1967 The fire is still present, although not too intrusive with the port feeling fairly round and with a shortish aftertaste. Red but fading in colour. A bit spirity on the nose. Cinnamon predominates. In the mouth, sweet with good fruit remaining and a slightly bitter aftertaste which I think is very characteristic of a Vargellas. |
| 1982 SQVP | Not generally liked. |
| 1987 SQVP | Far more less mature than the others. Not particularly pleasant on the night; perhaps needs more time. |
| 2007 SQVP | Cask sample. |
| 1969 Ruby | Inauguration of the the Prince of Wales bottling. Deep red. Blackberries on the nose. Very elegant in the mouth with well integrated alcohol. Excellent. Probably better than the Varegllas SQVPs from the 1960s! |
| 2001 SQVP | I was struck by complexity compared to the Taylor LBV and Ruby. Dense black morello cherries on the nose. Nice complex jammyness in the mouth. Some tannins. Odd after-taste of cabbages, though (?!); perhaps caused by a flaw in the glasses or the bottle. |
| 2002 SQVP | |
| 2004 SQVP | Deep purple to red. Still quite young on the nose: good fruit and a little spice. Perhaps some flowers, or even mint. In the mouth, gentle fruit: red cherries. Some spice. Gently round tannins and moderate acidity. Reasonably long after-taste. Not the most interesting to drink today but will, no doubt, improve. |
| 2012 SQVP |
Purchased by Sandeman in 1988 and extensively refurbished, Quinta do Vau is now an important part of the Sandeman blend. SQVP has been produced in major and minor years.
Map (Location: 41.198063, -7.460731)
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First mentioned in 1806, Ventozelo is a very large property on the site of a Cistercian monastery. Never tied to a single Port shipper, the Quinta was bought in 1999 by the Spanish shellfish company Proinsa, who now independently produce the full range of Ports and Douro table wine.
Map (Location: 41.186454, -7.513592)
TPF Tasting Notes
Search: W-S CT (GS) WS
Bought by the Ferreira family in 1823 and developed and enlarged on a grand scale by Dona Antónia Ferreira, Vesuvio was one of the few Quintas to be known in the UK in the 19th Century. In the 20th Century, its wines were used in the Ferreira blend, until the Quinta was bought by the Symington Family Estates in 1989. Vesuvio is now sold as a premium SQVP which is unusually made in all but the worst years. In 2007 a premium “Vesuvio Capela” wine was released.
Map (Location: 41.141111, -7.261667)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1989 VP | Lightest of the Vesuvios with a bit of caramel / brown colouring on the edge. Quite watery initially on the mouth, followed by a bit of roundness and fruit. Very end of the aftertaste had a bit of turmeric or other spice. Tasted like it was aging fairly quickly. Perfectly drinkable, unspectacular Port. |
| 1990 VP | Same colour as the 89, except slightly rosy around the edge. Touch rounder and sweeter than the 89 on the nose. An intense icing-sugar sweetness even more pronounced on the palate. Underpinned by the same wateriness as the ’89 and a bit more fruit. |
| 1991 VP | A step darker than the 89 and 90. Lots more fruit on the nose, too, though in the mouth that same immediate wateriness was present. Quite muted but elegant. Tasted rather closed. Very drinkable. |
| 1992 VP | Same colour as the ’91. Slightly stewed sensation on the nose and in the mouth. Incredibly bitter aftertaste. Not great; a disappointment. |
| 1995 VP | Perhaps a touch darker than the ’94. More muted on the nose with, unfortunately, a touch of the ’92. Much less well balanced and integrated: immediate hit of sugar followed by complete disintegration and a bitter aftertaste. Hopefully some age will allow the pieces to fall in the right place. Deep purple. Bit of heat on the nose, slightly astringent in the mouth, with lots of good fruit hidden underneath. Needs time to open up. |
| 1996 VP | Excellent. Pretty much the same colour as the ’94. Noticeably chewy tannins in the mouth, though not quite as much fruit as the ’94. Slight coffee in the aftertaste. Lovely Port; certainly the best non-major-year Vesuvio from the 1990s. |
| 1997 VP | Same colour as the ’96. Very muted on the nose and in the mouth, too. Quite elegant to drink now but very subdued. Probably needs more time to open up. |
| 1998 VP | Slightly darker than the ’97. A bit more “bight” or “grip” to it, too, though at the expense of some of the ’97’s elegance. |
| 1999 VP | Touch darker than the ’99. Quite a lot of fruit on the nose but more subdued than the major declared years. Bit of fruit in the mouth, too, though not as exciting or complex as the major years. |
| 2000 VP | Notably a step darker than anything that has come before. Strikingly immature on the nose and challenging to drink, too. Dense and complex but obviously far too young to be enjoyed now. |
| 2001 VP | A touch lighter than the 2000. Quite muted on the nose and in the palate but elegant to drink now. |
| 2003 VP | Same colour as the 2000 with a very similar nose. Notably more youthful, though. Obviously very immature in the mouth but still quite elegant, despite the tannic edge to it. |
| 2004 VP | Darker than the ’03. Very grapey on the nose, although in the mouth has that immediate wateriness that was only apparent on the older Vesuvios. Strong tannins. Obviously an excellent wine; the best from the 2000s from non-major years. |
| 2005 VP | Almost the same colour as the ’04, though a touch darker. Quite subdued on the nose compared to the ’04, albeit with quite a lot of heat. Well rounded in the mouth without a particular tannic grip. |
| 2006 VP | Darker, again, than the 2005. Very grappy and youthful on the nose. Nicely rounded and fruity in the mouth, followed by a huge tannic grip. Quite hard to drink after the first mouthful. |
| 2007 VP | Dark. Massive, huge nose. Extremely sweet on the mouth though, like many other 07s, quite elegant and not particularly tannic. |
| 2007 VP | Cask sample. Dark, again. Much less present on the nose than the normal ’07. Surprisingly subtle on the palate with very few tannins. Subdued elegance which makes it extremely drinkable now. If this lasts to maturity it should be spectacular. |
| 2008 VP | “Work-in-progress Cask Sample”. Very dark. Sweet. Tannic. Impossible to drink. |
| 2009 VP | Nearly a quarter Sousão, this had a spicy nose with very soft red fruit in mouth. Some cherries, again, as might be expected. Fantastic. |
| 1994 VP | A step darker than the older wines (particularly the ’91 and ’92). Massive and spectacular on the nose; full of fruit. Tastes even more massive than the nose and colour would indicate. Oldest Vesuvio still to have a noticeable tannic backbone. Extremely well rounded and balanced; absolutely stunning Port. |
Dating from the 19th Century, Vista Allegre has been run by Vallegre, a new Portuguese shipper, since 1998 who produce the full range of Ports and Douro table wines from it.
Map (Location: 41.179090, -7.565331)
| Wine | Notes |
|---|---|
| White | |
| 2009 LBV | Very good young LBV. |
| White | Makes a pretty good Port and Tonic! |
The “juniper” Quinta, Zimbro is mentioned in the first demarcation of the Douro in 1758 and was owned by the Barros family until being the first Quinta acquired by George Warre in 1888 for Silva & Cosens (who used it in their Dow’s blend). Zimbro was sold in the 1950s to the Pinto Espanyols family (at the same time that Quinta Senhora da Ribeira was sold). The grapes continue to be sold back to be used in the Dow’s blend, although Manuel Hespanhol has produced table wines from it since 2003. In the 1870s and 1880s some SQVP was produced from the property by Feuerheerd.
Map (Location: 41.203166, -7.405472)
TPF Tasting Notes
Search: W-S CT (GS) WS
With thanks to Derek Turnbull and Glenn Elliott for contributions of a number of co-ordinates. Other major sources include “Port Wine Quintas of the Douro” by Alex Liddell and Janet Price and “Vintage Port” by James Suckling. The map is powered by Google Maps. Those who wish to reuse the data (which is released under a Creative Commons licence) may download the XML. Typefaces are by Jos Buivenga.