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Quinta Do Vesuvio DOC is the flagship Douro red wine produced at this highly esteemed estate. Vesuvio was already famous for its Single Quinta Vintage Ports when the first Quinta Do Vesuvio DOC, the 2007 vintage, was released in 2009.
Quinta do Vesuvio is most famous as a Port wine producer: it is the flagship Single Quinta of Symington Family Estates (owners of Dow, Warre, Grahams et al.). The estate’s history dates back to 1565, but its modern era began in 1823 when renowned Port grower António Bernard Ferreira acquired Quinta do Vesuvio, extensively renovating and improving the property.
The estate passed through the Ferreira family’s hands until it was acquired by the Symington family in 1989. The Symingtons immediately set about restoring and renovating the estate to modern standards. The main house and winery were restored, and a large planting and replanting of the existing vineyard was undertaken, increasing the vineyard area to 137 hectares.
The vineyard is mainly north and west facing and rises from 110 meters at the riverside to 450 meters. The soil is predominantly schistous with small granite outcrops. The entire property is A-rated, the highest possible quality designation for Port production in the Douro.
Quinta Do Vesuvio produces three red wines: Quinta Do Vesuvio DOC, a second wine called Pombal do Vesuvio, and a third, more fruit-driven wine called Comboio do Vesuvio. All three wines are made from grapes grown at the estate using only the finest Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca grapes, and in some cases, a little Tinta Amarela.
Touriga Nacional is the most important grape in the blend for this wine. It is sourced from Vesuvio’s Quinta Nova vineyard, which is located at 450 metres altitude, with a fine westerly aspect. This part of the estate was acquired by Dona Antonia Ferreira in the mid-19th century.
The grapes are hand-picked into small, shallow 20kg containers to ensure they arrive at the Quinta do Sol Reserve Winery (built 1996) in the very best condition. The grapes are manually sorted, followed by a gentle destemming, followed by another sorting, after which the berries are gravity-fed into the small fermenting tanks.
Crushing only occurs during the gravity entry into the vat, thus avoiding any undesirable oxidation. Fermentations are monitored and adjusted so that the best of each grape variety is obtained. A postfermentative maceration follows to extract tannins from the seeds, which complement the ones obtained from the skins, thus producing a wine which is full-bodied and complete on the palate, whilst also contributing to the wine’s longevity.
Available to buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar.
Quinta Do Vesuvio DOC has gorgeous floral notes of roses with traces of lavender and fennel in the background. Further aromas of great purity suggest pine needles, forest floor and peppercorn.
Sumptuous and intense palate with compact and succulent fruit balanced by focused acidity that provides definition and fine balance.
The polished tannins underwrite the complex structure of this seductive, beautifully crafted wine.
Perfect with grilled meats, mature cheeses or dark chocolate desserts.
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