At Quinta Vale D. Maria Port wines are made in a traditional way, with foot treading in granite lagares. All Ports are produced with the same care and dedication, in order to create the highest quality wines. We thus maintain the same philosophy for our Ports as for other wines: obtaining a unique character. Since the beginning of the project at Quinta Vale D. Maria, we have been producing Vintage, LBV and Reserve Ports, all from a single harvest.
The selection of vines was based on knowledge of Port wine production over several generations. Each of the plots, planted with various indigenous varieties and mostly exposed to the South, has ages ranging from 25 to 60 years old. These vineyards allow you to create Port Wines with complexity, depth, aroma and structure, which represent a time and a place.
The 2018/2019 viticultural year was particularly atypical: extremely dry, but unusually warm. Thus, the vines were able to withstand summer stress despite the lack of water reserves in the soil. As the heat only manifested between the end of August and the beginning of September, there was no loss of production due to scalding or dehydration. The harvest started in early September and continued until October 10th. The fact that the year was fresh allowed for a slow maturation. In this way, it was possible to choose the ideal time to harvest each vineyard parcel, creating wines of excellent quality in the 2019 vintage.
Grape origins: A blend of more than 25 different traditional Douro grape varieties, predominately Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. Among others, also Rufete, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Francisca and Sousão. It all proceeding from both old vines and more recent plantations of Quinta Vale D. Maria. The vineyards ranging from 25 to more than 60 years old, facing South, Southeast, Southwest, East and West.
Vinification and aging: Grapes are crushed by foot, before the fermentation, together with 15% of the total grape brandy which would be added to the final Port, allowing for maceration of grapes at cooler temperatures and for a longer period before fermentation. When must is ready for the addition of the remaining grape brandy, the fortification is made in one single moment, adding all brandy to the must and skins in the lagar. Some more treading ensures good homogenization, and that the fermentation is stopped. The blend of must and brandy stays in the lagar for some more 2to 4 days, with very slight treading twice a day . It is then racked to the storage vat together with all the press wine (we use traditional basket presses).The wines aged in very ancient (more than 100 years old) wood Port casks and small stainless-steel vats up to a month before bottling.
Tasting notes: With an intense color, Quinta Vale D. Maria Reserva Porto Lote 19 is expressive on the nose. With notes of juicy black fruit, this wine is balanced, elegant and powerful. It has a long and fruity finish. A true experience of what is most traditional in the Douro.
Technical Analysis
Winemakers
