110 Port anD the Douro
Quinta do Roncão
casal de Loivos, 5085 Pinhão
Grade a
Quinta do Roncão used to belong Robertson Bros. who bought this and other adjoining
quintas in 1893. There are now two Roncão quintas, Roncão Velho and Roncão Novo.
Roncão Novo is now leased by Noval who have restored the impressive stone-walled
terraces overlooking the narrow mouth of the Roncão valley.
Quinta do Sibio
cotas, 5070 alijó
Grade a
Like Roncão, there are also two Sibios (sometimes spelt Cibio). The main Sibio was
laid out by the Jordão family from Granja in the mid-nineteenth century and remained
with the family until it was bought by Real Companhia Velha (Royal Oporto) in 1934.
The property has some magnificent terraces which, until the late 1990s, were all but
abandoned. A restoration programme has taken the vineyard to twelve hectares.
From Roncão to tua
There are no roads alongside the Douro upstream from Pinhão. The journey from Pinhão
to Tua, which is 10 kilometres by river, is well over 20 kilometres by car. Long tracks lead
down to the quintas, which are some of the most remote in the region. All these properties,
with varying exposures and mesoclimates, are capable of producing outstanding wine but,
by the 1990s, many were suffering from prolonged under-investment. It is encouraging
that a number of properties have been fully restored over the past decade. The railway line
that runs along the north side of the Douro affords good views of Quinta do Ventozello,
Quinta do Roriz, Quinta do Vau and Quinta da Vila Velha, all of which come down to
the river.
Quinta de Ventozello*
ervadosa do douro, 5130 são João de Pesqueira
tel. (351) 254 732 167
Grade a
One of the largest and most spectacular properties in the Douro, Quinta do Ventozello
occupies a natural amphitheatre above a 2-kilometre bend in the river, and extends to 600
hectares. Ventozello was originally a Cistercian property and, unusually for a property
of this size, has never been linked with any of the major shippers. It was acquired in
poor condition in 1999 by a Galician company. They have since invested large sums of
money, restoring over 90 hectares of old terraced vineyard and planting a further 120
hectares of new vines. Touriga Nacional is already the most planted grape variety on
the estate. Spanning an altitude range of 90 to 450 metres above sea level, Ventozello
faces predominantly west but encompasses a variety of different exposures. Although the
property has its own lagares (now restored and halved in size), Ventozello has purchased
an old winery on the Pinhão-São João de Pesqueira which has been renamed the Adega