Turris - complexity and unique character of an old Douro vineyard

Turris is the materialization of a dream of Dirk Niepoort. Coming from a very old vineyard totally untrained, lost in the heart of the Douro region expresses every little detail of Nature and its terroir. South-facing, in the area of Cima Corgo and planted for over 130 years, this is one of the oldest vineyards in the Douro that we know. The harvest takes place in August. The fermentation took place in a stainless steel vat, with 25% stalk and the period of contact between the solid and liquid parts, lasted for 5 weeks, in a delicate process, with a very light maceration and little extraction. It ages in Fuders, over 60 years old, brought from the Mosel region in Germany. The wine is bottled early to maintain its freshness, minerality, youth and aromatic purity, and is expected to age very well in bottle. Turris 2013, aged 20 months in Fuders and 18 months in bottle. It presents a young and intense color, deep aroma, of great complexity, markedly mineral and crystalline. It impresses with purity and finesse, with very fresh red fruit and notes of spices. In the mouth it is fresh, silky but vibrant and with great tension. The balance between minerality and tannic structure results in a unique complexity and elegance. Violet in colour, with ruby touches, the Turris 2016 is surprisingly fresh and precise. It has a very spicy aroma, with notes of pink pepper, very mineral, combined with the graphite of the schistous soil, and black fruit of blackcurrant. In the mouth it impresses with electricity and elegance, with a very persistent finish. It aged 12 months in Fuders and 24 months in bottle. Besides being a matchless wine, each bottle is unique, since the label was individually designed by the artist João Noutel.  Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RXR6zm

Madre de Água: Unique wines of excellence

The Madre de Água project was born in 2007 with the acquisition, by the couple Luis and Lurdes, of a property, in Serra da Estrela, with 16 hectares where there were some granite stone constructions, a 40 years old vineyard plot, many olive trees, oak trees, chestnut trees, century-old cherry trees, Glacier-era rock formations and many water wells. Over the last few years the Madre de Água project has grown, with the acquisition of other neighbouring farms, and today has an area of 60ha. Surrounded by this area we find a hotel, restaurant, horse riding arena, cheese factory, vineyard and wine cellar, olive trees and orchards (mainly of Pera rocha and apples). In this way, besides the wines, it is possible to find in the market cheeses, olive oil and jams under Madre de Água brand. In the Dão region we find some of the best national wines, with great quality and elegance, and the Madre de Água wines are an excellent example of this. The privileged location of its vineyards, surrounded by a series of hills that protect them from outside influences, give the wines unique characteristics of aroma and flavour. Currently, the vineyard of Quinta Madre de Água has 16 hectares, divided by its estates, with white and red varieties, national and foreign. The vineyards are located at 600 meters of altitude. Here we find the white varieties: Encruzado, Gouveio, Bical, Semillon and the red varieties: Tinta-Roriz, Touriga-Nacional, Jaen, Alfrocheiro, Syrah, Merlot and Carbernet Sauvignon. Madre de Água wines are very new, the first harvest to be launched was in 2015, so they are still new to many people. However, in the last 5 years it has already managed to show some of its potential and the clear bet on monovarietal wines. Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RXMSY6

Quintas das Marias - Elegance, depth and refinement,

Quinta das Marias, located between Serra do Caramulo and Serra da Estrela, is a family business dedicated to the production of wines from the Dão region, founded about 30 years ago by its owners Elisabeth and Peter Eckler. The dream of creating this company began when the couple Eckert bought 4ha of land and a house almost in ruins and over the last years they transformed it into a 12ha property. In 1998 the first good wines were produced and the one of the following year already won the gold medal in the Dão D.O.C. Contest. The wines of this property are an example of elegance, depth and refinement, as only the Dão region can produce, thanks to the climatic conditions and the exceptional soils from which it benefits. Peter Eckert is in charge of viticulture and Luís Lopes has been responsible for oenology since 2018. Among white, red and rosé wines, the Quinta das Marias range is composed of wines made with blends and single varietals. Encruzado, Sémillion, Gouveio, Barcelo are the grape varieties used in the production of white wines and Alfrocheiro, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Jaen in red wines. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Quinta das Marias has produced an edition of wines called "Fora do Baralho" which consists of several trials where different ways of working each vine and each grape variety are experienced in the winery. Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RXJJD7

Bairrada Wines by Carvalheira Winecreators

Carvalheira Winecreators, owned by José and Maria Carvalheira, is an ambitious project with the central objective of creating unique, world-class wines. Located in Bairrada, in a wine region of excellence, with a cool Atlantic climate, and excellent clay-calcareous soils, its wines have characteristics that match them with the great world wine regions. Carvalheira Winecreatores' range of products, under the responsibility of the oenologist José Carvalheira, is composed of DOC wines, sparkling wines, late harvest and virgin olive oil. ANTE ÆQUINOCTIUM (white wine) and ÆQUINOCTIUM AUTUMNUS (red wine) designate the Grande Reserva wines. The sparkling wines are marketed under the brand name HIBERNUS and are presented in the variants PREMIER, CUVÉE de NOIRS and GRANDE CUVÉE. From the late harvest comes the FUNGUS, created from grapes strongly attacked by noble rotting. In 2017, to celebrate the first twenty harvests of the oenologist José Carvalheira, VIGESIMUM wine was launched. Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RX7xz2

The best of Bairrada: Outrora, Aliás and Doravante wines

The V Puro wine project arises from the partnership of two oenologist friends - Nuno Mira do Ó and João Soares - with the aim of producing a distinctive wine based on the rich Portuguese heritage, specifically of the Bairrada region. The choice fell on the search of old vineyards of the Baga variety and the Pure V Project materialized with the discovery of old vineyards planted in the heart of Bairrada. From this project emerged initially the Outrora Red, a wine produced from the Baga variety. But soon the portfolio increased with the wines Aliás and Doravante produced from Baga, Touriga Nacional, Arinto, Bical and Cercial varieties. Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RX4F91

kompassus

Kompassus, owned by João Póvoa, is a company dedicated to the production of wines of excellence supported by organic production methods and sustainable viticulture practices, since 2005. João Póvoa is an ophthalmologist by profession but a passionate farmer who started producing wines in 1991 with Quinta de Baixo, but his passion for the world of wine is much older. From an early age he realised the potential of Bairrada - the soils, the climate and its grape varieties. Baga was chosen as the basis for all his red and sparkling wines. They are essentially natural wines from small productions, in practice 25 years of dedication to wine production. His family was one of the first to produce the traditional style of Bairrada wines, often called "Bairrada Clássico". The vineyards are located in the parish of Cordinhã, characterized by soils predominantly clay-calcareous with strong sun exposure to the south. The grapes of the Baga grape variety come from old vines with approximately 70 years of age. The base of vines are native varieties such as; Bical, Maria Gomes, Cercial and Baga. Besides these, Touriga Nacional has Merlot and Pinot Noir, Verdelho and Alvarinho. The vineyards are guided by organic practices and sustainable viticulture, in an organic way providing natural wines. Anselmo Mendes is responsible for oenology since 2012. Throughout all these years extraordinary wines have arrived on the market, today, true relics, wines that display refinement, concentration and depth. Of those that cause real pleasure... The range of Kompassus wines includes Colheita, Reserva and Private Collection White and Red; Mono varieties: Alvarinho, Verdelho and Bical; sparkling wines: bruto, blanc noirs and Grande Reserva Bruto. Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RX0jqk

Buçaco Wines: Heritage of Portugal

"To drink a Buçaco is to travel in time, is to drink a glorious wine, created by Alexandre Almeida, a visionary. This is an opportunity that all those who appreciate wine should have, even once in a lifetime". Buçaco wines appear at the beginning of the 20th century, curiously not from an oenologist but from Alexandre Almeida, founder of the oldest hotel chain in the country. He imported the concept of combining luxury hotels with a winery and his own wine. In this way the Buçaco wines were created to be appreciated at the Hotel do Palácio do Bussaco, becoming a cult object limited to very closed circles, the elite. Since its first harvests, this wine was served to kings, queens, heads of state. Almeida idealized a red wine, which is a mixture of Baga and Touriga Nacional, and a white wine, which results from a blend of the Encruzado, Maria Gomes and Bical grape varieties, typical of the two neighbouring regions, Bairrada and Dão. Given the origin of its grapes, this wine does not have the necessary conditions to be considered a DOC wine and is therefore called Table Wine. Adversed to modernity, the winemaking of these wines has remained the same throughout time. Both white and red wines were aged in French oak barrels for 12 months and are distinguished from other wines by their ability to evolve in bottle. Buçaco Tinto is a deep wine that reflects the elegance of the Touriga Nacional do Dão grape variety, and the freshness and vigor of Baga da Bairrada. With black fruit aromas, this wine offers a pleasant nervousness, complexity and refinement. The rare Buçaco Vinha da Mata Reservado is, without a doubt, one of the producer's best red wines. It is a wine made with grapes from a single vineyard grown near the Palace Bussaco hotel. It presents a complex aromatic profile. With black fruit, flowers and a good toast, it is a structured wine, with tannins present but very fine. It reveals itself complex and intense in a very long aftertaste. A wine to last. Buçaco Reserva White is incredibly aromatic, fine and reputed, considered one of the best and longest-lasting white wines in the Iberian Peninsula. It reveals an enormous depth of aromas and great complexity. It is also full of fruit suggestions with a smoky character. Great breadth and creaminess associated with an enormous acidity and length. Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RWxF8B

Kopke: Four centuries producing unique wines

Founded in 1638, Kopke is the oldest Port Wine house. The history of this house begins in 1636 when Nicolau Kopke moves from Hamburg to Portugal as Consul General of Hanseatic Cities and two years later he signs the first bottles of wine sent to Northern Europe. The Douro and, more specifically, Quinta São Luiz are the cradle of Kopke wines. With 125 hectares of meticulously cared vineyards on the left bank of the Douro River, Kopke presents an extensive portfolio of Port and Douro DOC wines, in the purest expression of its terroir. And the more than 300 years of existence and experience make this brand an unquestionable leader in wine production. The range of Douro wines is composed by white, red and rosé wines. Viosinho, Arinto, Folgazão, Gouveio, Rabigato and Arinto are the white grape varieties used for the blends from which Kopke Colheita and Reserva are produced. As for the red wines (Colheita, Reserva and Vinhas Velhas) the varieties chosen are the typical: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Sousão and Tinto Cão.Rufete, Rabigato and Tinto Cão are the varieties chosen to produce very limited and numbered special editions for wine lovers. Kopke Port wines are famous throughout the world for their extraordinary award-winning quality. Kopke Fine are versatile wines that result from a blend of young Ports from different vintages with a minimum ageing of 3 years. These wines are offered in different styles - Tawny, Ruby, White - and are excellent for a first contact with Kopke Port Wines. Kopke Tawny and Ruby Special Reserve are the result of a blend of young and full bodied wines. They are very fruity, elegant and well balanced wines. Tawnies and Whites (10, 20, 30 and 40 years old) translate the art of blending into Port Wine. They are the result of combining casks from different years to achieve wines with an average age that differentiates them and makes them absolutely seductive. Wines with an intense ruby colour, LBVs are bottled after ageing for 4 to 6 years. An LBV can be drunk as soon as it is bottled and does not need to be decanted. Vintages are made from grapes harvested by hand in a vintage year of exceptional quality. They age in barriques for a maximum of two and a half years and are bottled afterwards. And finally, the harvests are aged in wood for as long as possible and are only bottled on demand. Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RWk9z3

Muxagat: Genuine and elegant wines

Muxagat wines began to be produced in Muxagata, located in the municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, in the transition between the Upper Douro and Trás-os-Montes. One of those responsible for the appearance of the Muxagat wine brand was the winemaker and producer Mateus Nicolau de Almeida, but in 2015 Susana Lopes took over the project accompanied by her father and Luis Seabra became responsible for oenology. The production of excellent quality wines continues to be the hallmark of this house and its philosophy is based on interfering as little as possible in the winemaking allowing the characteristics of the soil of the vineyard, the Terroir, to develop and show itself in the wine. In each Muxagat wine you can feel its terroir in the glass, the grapes, the characteristics and the weather conditions that gave it origin. Isn't this what we look for in a wine? Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RWhwcB

Morgadio da Calçada - Terraces of tradition, vines of modernity

Morgadio da Calçada wines are born in the green plateau of the Douro wine region, in the historical village of Provesende, in the subregion of Cima Corgo. Due to its location the wines that are produced here are cooler, more open and elegant in general. Dirk Niepoort, winemaker of Morgadio da Calçada wines describes them as wines that are not "worked with much wood. They are not heavy (...) they are wines that taste good to drink, fresh, simple and elegant". The range of Morgadio da Calçada wines is composed by white, red and Port wines. Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RW9d1L

Aneto

Aneto wines are produced by the small family business Sobredos created in 2001. Its wines are produced from different plots and separated by grape varieties. In the white wines are used the varieties Semillon, Gouveio, Viosinho, Arinto, Rabigato, Malvasia Fina and Cerceal from the parish of Barrô and Penajóia (area of transition to the region of vinho verde, with granite soils, cool climate and Atlantic). The harvest of these grapes is manual, made by grape varieties that are pressed and ferment in stainless steel and oak barrels with controlled temperature. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão and Souzão are the grape varieties used in the production of red wines. These are produced in the municipality of Alijó and are planted in schistous soil with clay outcrops and Mediterranean climate. As with white grapes, red grapes are harvested manually and separated by grape variety. After passing through the sorting mat they are destemmed and lightly crushed, falling into traditional granite presses where, with foot treading twice a day, they macerate and ferment for a few days. Malolactic fermentation occurs in stainless steel. Then the wine ages in new and used French oak barrels for a minimum of one year. Currently the range of Aneto wines is composed of white, red, rosé, late harvest, sparkling wines and extra virgin olive oil. Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RW5wMz

Colinas do Douro - Elegant, fresh and mineral wines with longevity

The wines created by the producer Colinas do Douro are unique and result from the union of three characteristics: Altitude, North Exhibition and Geological Transition. Located in the sub-region of the Upper Douro, this is a audacious project that extends over 476 hectares, 106 of which are vineyards, on hills and terraces located in the transition from Beira Alta granites to the schist folds of the Douro, at 640 metres of altitude. This producer, focused on the creation of high quality grapes and wines, started in 2010 and 2011 the planting of the vineyards, opting for the integrated production method and favoring the main native varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, in red; Rabigato and Viosinho, in white. There are also five hectares of old vines, about 40 years old. A remarkable investment that also included the construction of a winery, by architects Souto de Moura and Ricardo Rosa Santos. Currently there are eight references of Colinas do Douro, among whites, reds, rosé and late harvest Available to order!
http://dlvr.it/RW2TNN