258 Port anD the Douro
good natural acidity. Quinta do Cidrô is also producing varietal whites from Sauvignon Blanc
and Alvarinho. The 2002 vintage saw the welcome revival of an old brand, Grandjó. This is a
late-harvest wine made from botrytis-affected Semillon grapes from Granja and Cidrô picked
at the end of October. It has a very good botrytic nose, wonderfully rich texture and a flavour
of ripe apricots. None of these international grapes qualify as a Douro variety and the wines
are therefore sold under the epithet Vinho Regional Duriense.
The scope of Real Vinicola’s red wines has been greatly increased by a winery at Granja
equipped with a battery of small stainless steel fermentation tanks and corresponding storage
vats. With so many tiny plots of old vines in the Douro, many of which undoubtedly have
the potential to produce wines of excellent quality, Luper seized on the idea of vinifying
selected batches of grapes on a Burgundian scale. Real Vinicola’s principal Douro reds are
Evel and Porca de Murça, both of which started out as respected brands when they were
conceived in the 1920s and 1930s but began to look rather lacklustre half a century later.
Since the creation of the Fine Wine Division, both have received a much-needed makeover,
so much so that they are now well-accepted, reliable reds with plenty of sappy, spicy Douro
fruit softened by short ageing in oak. The pride of the range is Evel Grande Escolha.
Produced since 1996 from small plots of old vines growing at lower altitudes around Pinhão
with a preponderance of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, it combines ripe berry fruit
and well-integrated new oak. Quinta de Aciprestes opposite the railway station at Tua is
now the source of some exciting reds from Portuguese varietals whereas Quinta do Cidrô
combines Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon in a 40/60 blend respectively.
Quinta da Romaneira
Cotas 5070 – 252 Alijó
tel: (351) 259 957 000
http://www.quintadaromaneira.pt
Owned by a consortium of twelve investors including Christian Seely who manages Quinta
do Noval, Romaneira is a 400-hectare estate with 86 hectares of vines. It was bought in a
run-down state and much of the property has been replanted, plus there’s a new purpose-
built winery on top of the hill above the quinta. Despite sharing the same winemaker as
nearby Noval, Romaneira’s reds are in a class of their own. Quinta da Romaneira is a
blend of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Francesa made in a soft, beautifully expressive
style. Quinta da Romaneira Reserva is made for ageing, being solid, dense and profound.
A second wine, made from younger vines, is bottled as Sino de Romaneira.
Quinta de la Rosa
Bergqvist Vinhos SA
Quinta de la Rosa, 5085-215 Pinhão
tel. (351) 254 732 254
http://www.quintadelarosa.com
Port and Douro wine are given equal weight at this prime A-grade quinta near Pinhão. With
help from Australian David Baverstock, the Bergqvist family were among the first to see the