I talked to smiley Oscar Quevedo (right) and tasted some of the Quevedo family's Ports in their wine tasting cellar cum shop in Vila Nova de Gaia in late June, which is quietly tucked away behind Ramos Pinto and the other side of the pretty Santa Marinha church from Sandeman's. They have six vineyards totalling about 100 hectares: “Some of them have been in the family for four generations, and some of them were planted by my parents and grandparents," Oscar told me. But Quevedo the company, as it is now, and Port brand don't date back so far as Oscar explained: "Before they changed the law in 1986 – before that you had to have a cellar in Vila Nova de Gaia to be able to export - we made and sold Port to merchants.” So the contemporary Quevedo estate was created after that date with a new winery completed in the Douro Valley in 1991. His sister Claudia is the winemaker there and their father still looks after the vineyards, which are planted with Touriga Franca, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cao, Touriga Nacional and certain white varieties. They also make Douro red and white wines, which I didn't taste this time, and have 25 hectares of olive groves.
Available in the UK from Naked Wines, Borough Wines and Wine Fantastic / Wine Boutique. USA: Flickinger Wines.
Rosé Port (19.5% abv, 83 grams/litre residual sugar) - contains "a fair bit of (the) Sousão (variety) which has very good acidity." Short maceration on skins and fermentation then fortified. Fruity 'winey' nose and palate, not too punchy or sweet with a hint of freshness too. “Sales of this style have really taken off in Germany and Holland," Oscar said. £13.50
2010 Late Bottled Vintage – lovely rich dark fruit vs peppery and punchy, plum and blackberry vs black olive flavours on a firm vs lush backdrop. Very attractive more towards-vintage style. £13.49-£18.99 or £10 half-bottle, US $20.
From vineyards in the Upper Douro "where it's drier giving more concentrated wines," he added. 2010 was a good vintage that some houses 'declared' as a vintage year, although "everybody declared 2011." Unfortunately their excitement is reflected in the prices!
2008 Vintage Quinta Vale d'Agodinho – from their main vineyard near Ferradosa, about 25 ha, located a couple of km from Quinta da Vargellas.
Dense and fruity still with marzipan and plum jam notes, concentrated and lush with sweet vs savoury finish, well balanced. Stylish, very good: still tasting quite young. About £40 or $50.
20 Year Old Tawny – dark mahogany colour, lovely toasted walnut and complex oxidised nutty tones, tangy vs sweet, quite mellow and mature vs long and still alive.
1996 Colheita – these vintage Tawny styles have “really taken off in Denmark and the US,” where it costs about $34 a bottle.
Tastes younger and fruitier than above vs savoury maturing notes, reminds me of old Banyuls, again quite smooth vs still lively, delicate complex finish. £27
40 Year Old Tawny – nuttier pecan nut nose with mature Gruyere type aromas, very intense and concentrated with tangy texture and delicious rich dark vs nutty oxidised flavours on its long finish. Yum.
Wine tasting and sales in Vila Nova de Gaia: 77 Rua de Santa Marinha.
Wine tasting and sales in Vila Nova de Gaia: 77 Rua de Santa Marinha.
To visit the winery and one of their vineyards in the Douro: Quinta Sra. Rosario in S. João da Pesqueira - more info @ quevedoportwine.com.
Hi Richard, thank you for taking your time to visit our lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia. I hope next time we can meet at our winery in the Douro valley. Would be a pleasure! Cheers, Oscar
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