Quinta do Vallado is a storied winery in the heart of the Douro winemaking region of Portugal. Established in 1716, it is one of the oldest estates in the Douro Valley, having remained with the founding family and its descendants through the centuries. That’s not to say there has not been change along the way. Through most of its history the winery produced primarily port wine, the iconic wine of the Douro. This went on all the way to 1987, when the family’s port house, Casa Ferreira, was sold.
In 1993, still under the direction of the original family, Quinta do Vallado made the business decision to enter the production of wines under their own label. Quality was to be the driving
factor, and the estate vineyards were restructured significantly. While there are still 10 hectares of old vines ( and I mean old, as some go back to the 1920s), another 55 hectares were replanted in the 1990s. Since then an additional 35 hectares have been planted on acquired property, these being organically farmed.
Today the Ferreira family is still at the helm, and a modern winery building was added in 2009, bringing state of the art technology. What all of this has brought, in the end, is a world class Portuguese winery that aims to produce great wine from traditional Portuguese grapes. Given all of the praise and publicity the wines of Portugal have received over the past decade, it is no surprise that such quality standards are expected here, but how exactly do they manifest themselves using the indigenous grapes of the region? Let’s find out.
We have six wines from Quinta do Vallado to review. They are all reds.
2018 Quinta do Vallado Douro Tinta Roriz – this is 100% Tinta Roriz, the local name for the popular Tempranillo grape grown throughout neighboring Spain.
The Spanish region of Ribera del Duero uses Tempranillo extensively. The Spanish Duero River becomes the Douro when it enters Portugal on its way to the sea, so it is not surprising to see this grape be prominent in Portugal as well. The grapes here were vinified in stainless steel and then spent 18 months in French oak barrels. Our thoughts:
The juice is dark, purple red. There is ripe fruit on the nose, mostly black with black cherry and blackberry brandy. Complex notes of vanilla and caramel, as well as some oak and a touch of smoke, make for a complex wine. That rich and complex nose carries to the palate, which is full bodied. You get some spice in the mouth, and brisk tannins. This will age effortlessly for many years. The finish is long and satisfying. All the pieces of an excellent, world class wine are in place. SRP is $79.99. So it’s not inexpensive, but it is extremely good and that price is not out of balance with its quality.
2018 Quinta do Vallado Douro Touriga Nacional – this is maybe the iconic grape of
Portugal, and the wine is 100% Touriga Nacional. If you follow this blog you’re aware that this is not our favorite grape, which is just a matter of personal taste and no reflection on the grape and the wine. Again vinification was in stainless, then this juice spent 16 months in French oak. What do we think?
Another dark wine, this is a bit more purple. The nose is dark and rich, with black and ripe red fruit, oak, herbs and some leather. It is also full bodied, with more medium tannins and excellent balance. Another long finish provides a fitting end to an excellent wine. This does not, at least to me, taste like a more traditional, rustic Touriga Nacional wine. It is an excellent red that stands with any varietal. SRP is $54.99, and that is a fair price for juice of this quality.
2018 Quinta do Vallado Vinha da Corao – now this is old school. The wine is a field
blend of 34 grape varieties. It is a mongrel. The winemaking is quite different as well, with 50% placed in stainless vats without crushing, and carbonic fermentation occurring for 14 days. The other 50% is more traditionally processed, also fermenting for 14 days. All of the wine goes into two year old French barrels. Let’s see what results:
A medium to dark ruby red, this wine is obviously closed down right now. That is not a negative statement, as many great wines go through periods in their evolution when the aromatics and flavors tighten up, only re-emerge later in all their splendor. I think that is what we have going on here. You get hints on the nose, but the palate is behind high walls at the moment. The wines needs some time, likely a few years, before it is going to emerge. We’ll have to plead the fifth here, and not offer an opinion on quality yet. The wine is expensive, with an SRP of $99.99, so it really does deserve a fair evaluation at a time when it is showing its best.
2019 Quinta do Vallado Douro Red – here we have an interesting blend of Touriga
Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Sousao and also a 25% portion made up of mixed old vine grapes. Fermented in stainless, only 10% of the wine then sees oak, and that is all 3rd and 4th year barrels. What is the result?
A reddish purple wine, this has some berry fruit, leather, bramble and floral notes. On the palate it is medium+ in body with good acid, balance and medium tannins which build toward the finish. That finish is very long. Overall this is a well made, juicy, lively red with complexity and a great finish. At an SRP of $22.99 it is also a great value.
2018 Quinta do Vallado Douro Reserva Blend – another field blend wine here, with 35
grape varieties represented. Some of the wine underwent traditional foot treading, with the remainder of the vinification in stainless steel vats. All of the wine then saw 18 months in French oak. What did we think?
The juice is a dark purple red. A nose full of black plum, tobacco, balsamic vinegar is somewhat brooding. There is some blackberry fruit riding underneath. You can add some wood and herbs as well. This complex wine is full bodied and very, very long. It is a big, rich and luscious wine, and an excellent one. SRP is $64.99. That is fair, and this is pretty special.
2018 Quinta do Vallado Douro Sousao – this wine is 100% Sousao, which is not a
varietal you’ll find a lot of outside of Portugal. The wine is aged for 16 months in 40% new oak, 60% once used. It was all foot trodden in traditional vessels for 5 days. This is traditional, totally indigenous, and a classic example of a purely Portuguese wine. Our thoughts:
Dark purple red, this is opaque. The nose is rich with balsamic, dark fruits (plum predominant) and tobacco. It is full bodied, mouth coating and complex, with a long finish. This is a worthy wine equal to top shelf bottles of international varieties from anywhere in the world. It is pretty great. SRP of $54.99, and that is a value for something like this.
The wines of Quinta do Vallado are a prime example of what Portuguese wine can be, and in this particular case certainly is. This is very high quality wine across the board, and the fact that is uniquely Portuguese makes it even more special.
Look for Quinta do Vallado. It’s worth the effort.
A votre sante!
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