Port anD the Douro 101patamares are vinified at Sandeman’s Quinta do Seixo on the opposite side of the river,
although the wine is sold under the Quinta label as a ten-year-old tawny.
Quinta do Seixo*
Valença do douro, 5120-495 tabuaço
tel. (351) 223 746 100
http://www.sandeman.eu
Grade a
Touring the Douro in the 1870s, Henry Vizetelly describes Quinta do Seixo as ‘commodious
and well arranged’ with ‘an air of pretention about it’. Seixo occupies a prominent position
overlooking the confluence of the River Torto with the Douro. Under the aegis of the
late Jorge Maria Cabral Ferreira, the vineyards were substantially restructured with vertical
planting (vinha ao alto) favoured on all but the very steepest slopes. Bought as a Ferreira
property, Seixo has now been rebranded as Sandeman by owners Sogrape. The house and
adega have been restored and are now open to passing visitors who are able to see a working
winery and sample the wines on a terrace with a fabulous view over the Douro.
the torto Valley
Torto means ‘twisted’, an accurate description of this Douro tributary, rising on the granite
planalto near Sernancelhe before carving a deep and convoluted valley through the schist.
Inaccessible by road for much of its length, the Torto is one of those hidden valleys that
make a hugely important contribution to Port and the Douro as a whole. The twists and
turns of the river provide a significant variation in exposure and microclimate. Vineyards
are sheltered on either side by mountains rising to between 450 and 700 metres. Although
there are few showpiece properties in the Torto, nearly all shippers source some of their
finest Ports here.
Quinta da Corte
Valença do douro, 5120 tabuaço
Grade a
Viewed from the road on the opposite side of the Torto valley, Corte is one of the most
singularly impressive properties in the Douro with its inclined stone terraces. For many
years this independently owned property has supplied Delaforce with both vintage and
tawny Ports and small quantities of old colheitas are aged at the property.
Quinta do Bom Retiro
Valença do douro, 5120 tabuaço
Grade a
Bom Retiro is divided in two. The larger part of the estate belongs to Ramos Pinto, who
developed the quinta in the early twentieth century on profits generated by the sale of Port to
Brazil. As a result it boasts the earliest swimming pool in the Douro (disguised as an ornamental
pond) and a long level promenade shaded by palm trees designed for a gentle saunter after
lunch or dinner. Some of the first patamares and vinho ao alto were laid out in the upper part of