248 Port anD the Douro
wider audience. The finest wines combine power with elegance and finesse, words not
usually associated with unfortified Douro wine in the past.
white wines: all aBout aCiDity
White grapes were traditionally interplanted with red and in the widespread replanting
that took place in the 1980s and 1990s, the supply of white grapes diminished. Where
old interplanted vineyards remain, the separation of red and white grapes is often too
painstaking to be worthwhile (unless it is the intention to make a special lote or cuvée of old
vine red). But there are a number of good local grape varieties that, with careful handling, are
capable of producing some dry white wines with character and depth. Gouveio, Viosinho
and Rabigato lead the field (see pages 71–74). Small quantities of Moscatel may be favoured
to lend an aromatic character to the blend. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling
have also been planted and are permitted for wines labelled with the Vinho Regional Terras
Durienses.
The best white grapes (indigenous or international) tend to originate from the altos,
the higher, cooler districts around Lamego, Vila Real, Alijó and São João de Pesqueira.
Here the acid balance is better than at lower altitudes and, depending on the year and
time of picking, acid adjustment is not always necessary. With patience and persistence, a
number of producers are now making some good white wines at all price levels, capturing
the character of the Douro. As with the reds, there has been a tendency to over-do the oak
which masks the fruit. A few wines are truly excellent, achieving a Burgundian richness
and finesse from old low-yielding vines. They clearly demonstrate that the Douro’s
schistous soils are not merely the preserve of red grapes.
ProDuCers
There are now so many producers of Douro wine that it is well beyond the realm of this
book to include them all. From extensive tastings that I have undertaken over a number of
years, I have selected the wines that have impressed me the most and/or those producers
with a genuinely good story to tell. They have all have earned a name for their wines both
at home and in export markets.
domingos alves de sousa
Domingos Alves de Sousa
apartado 15, 5030-055 santa Marta de Penaguião.
tel (351) 254 822 111
http://www.alvesdesousa.com
It is hard to keep up with Domingos Alves de Sousa and his son Tiago, representing the
third and fourth generation of their family to grow vines. They have one of the largest
vineyard holdings in the Baixo Corgo with seven properties amounting to over a hundred