Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Amarela
75cl * 13.5% ABV * Douro, Portugal
Founded by the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, Quinta do Vesuvio is one of the great Douro estates. It has a total area of 326 hectares, of which 133 hectares are planted with vines. The rest has been conserved in its natural state. The property has great variations in altitude, from 130m at the riverside to 530m at the top of the ridge. It has vineyards that face north, south, east and west, providing a remarkable range of conditions. Being so far inland, only 30k from Spain, the Quinta experiences climatic extremes, reaching very high temperatures in summer and very low in winter. It is very dry, with an average of only 400mm of rain falling each year.
Pombal do Vesuvio comes from the terraced vineyards that surround the ancient dovecote, ‘pombal’ in Portuguese, situated at 200 meters in the heart of this beautiful and remote property. These vineyards are primarily planted with Touriga Nacional.
There is a wonderful mouth feel to this wine, it is unctuously full with red and black fruits but there is a rounded savoury note, a bit herbal, a bit stewed fruit. Its a wonderful wine that will partner with so many of the great dishes of Christmas or Easter. Aged in the second use oak barrels, only used before for the Quinta do Vesuvio first wine. There is a warmth of spice from these barrels and that combined with the full red and savoury notes held make this wine a big favourite of the Taurus team. The magnum can be enjoyed now or laid down for a few years to accentuate those lovely flavours.
Made by the Symington family at Quinta do Vesuvio in the Douro Superior, practising sustainable farming and B-Corp certified.