Quinta do Vesuvio 2022

Quinta do Vesúvio is a true icon of the Douro. Since 1827, its white manor house has stood proudly amidst the hills of the Douro Superior, accompanied by a chapel, cellars, and strikingly terraced vineyards. Today, the estate spans 137 hectares of vines and enjoys worldwide renown for its refined Vintage Ports and dry wines under the Douro DOC. This cuvée is the undisputed flagship of that range.

The grapes for this wine come from the high-lying Quinta Nova vineyard, situated at 450 metres altitude with a westerly exposure that bathes the vines in warm sunlight during the day and brings cooling breezes at night. The poor, schist-heavy soils and the unique microclimate yield fruit of great concentration and aromatic finesse. At the core of the blend is Touriga Nacional, which ripens slowly at this altitude. It’s complemented by Touriga Franca and a touch of Tinta Amarela, sourced from carefully selected plots across the estate.

Harvesting is done entirely by hand in small crates. After two stages of manual sorting, the grapes are gravity-fed into small fermentation vats. By avoiding pumps and mechanical crushing, oxidation is kept to a minimum, preserving the wine’s aromatic purity. After fermentation, a short maceration on the skins follows, further extracting fine tannins, colour and flavour compounds. Only the free-run juice is used for this wine — rich in structure, colour and complexity — while the pressed juice is mainly allocated to other wines in the range.

Following vinification, the wine is aged for 15 months in French oak barrels (80% new), a mix of 225L barriques and 400L casks. This maturation adds depth and texture without overpowering the expression of the vineyard.

In the glass, this is a complex and layered Douro red. Aromas of dark berries, wild herbs, floral hints and subtle oak gradually unfold. On the palate, an impressive interplay of power and finesse emerges, with ripe, silky tannins, vibrant acidity, and a long, mineral-laced finish. The wine shows intensity, freshness, and precision, a benchmark for the new generation of great Douro reds.

Estate: Quinta do Vesúvio
Grapes: 65% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 5% Tinta Amarela
Country: Portugal
Region: Douro Superior
Wine Style: Powerful red wine
Food pairing: glazed pigeon with spiced jus, saddle of hare ‘Arlequin’, seared dry-aged beef
Serving temperature: 16°C
Cellaring potential: up to 30 years
Bottle size: 75 cl