Quinta dos Carvalhais Dão Tinto Reserva 2020
Deep ruby in colour with intense aromas of blackberry, black cherry and wild berries and subtle hints of menthol and violet. On the palate, the black fruit flavours are combined with polished tannins and a lovely freshness from the acidity which carries the flavours onto the long and elegant finish.
This 105-hectare estate, situated at an altitude of 465 to 500 metres above sea level, has 50 hectares under vine. Warm days and cool nights at this altitude slow down the grape ripening process and result in wines with lovely depth yet vibrant fruit and a signature freshness. The vineyards are planted on poor granite soils with a predominance of indigenous Dão varieties. Microzoning studies have been carried out on the estate, identifying nine different soil types and a multitude of different microclimates, and each grape variety has been matched to its ideal plot. This precision viticulture provides Beatriz with a great diversity of blending options. All of the vineyards are farmed sustainably and harvesting is carried out by hand.
The grapes were harvested into small 20kg crates by variety and by plot and were vinified separately. Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were destemmed and crushed and transferred by gravity flow into small stainless-steel fermentation tanks. Alcoholic fermentation lasted ten days at an average temperature of 28ºC. After fermentation, malolactic conversion took place in stainless-steel vats and barrels. The wine was then aged for 12 months in new and used French oak barrels. At the end of this period, the final blend was assembled, and the wine was fined and filtered before bottling.
| RRP | £39.99 |
| Bottle size | 75cl |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13.5% |
| Awards | Silver, IWC, 2024 |
| Country | Portugal |
| Region | Dão |
| Grapes | Touriga Nacional 49%, Alfrocheiro 34%, Tinta Roriz 17% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 1 |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Natural Cork |
| Winemaker | Beatriz Cabral de Almeida |
Quinta dos Carvalhais is credited with spearheading the quality renaissance of Dão wines in the early ‘90s and continues to make some of the region's finest wines today. After being purchased by Sogrape in 1988, significant improvements were made to the winery and vineyards, including the replanting of near-extinct Dão varieties such as Encruzado, a grape now heralded as one of Portugal’s finest. Current Quinta dos Carvalhais winemaker Beatriz Cabral de Almeida continues to champion these varieties, making an impressive range of estate wines that show lovely depth, vibrant fruit, and exceptional elegance.
The estate’s 50 hectares of vineyards are mainly planted predominantly with white indigenous varieties; each matched to a specific vineyard plot. Circled by mountains and located 465 to 500 metres above sea level, a combination of granite soils and warm days followed by cool nights lends great ripeness and elegance to the wines. Quinta dos Carvalhais follows viticulture practices in harmony with nature, grazing sheep in the vineyards both to boost soil health and reduce the use of herbicides to a minimum. The modern gravity-flow winery is filled with numerous small stainless-steel fermentation tanks, allowing plots to be vinified separately. Typical of the Dão, all Quinta dos Carvalhais’s wines undergo oak ageing, with Beatriz expertly employing a mixture of new and used barrels of varying sizes to subtly integrate the influence of oak.
Quinta dos Carvalhais’s single-variety wines are complex blends of different plots on the estate, vinified separately before blending. The Encruzado, partially fermented and aged for eight months in French oak barrels of varying sizes, marries the vibrancy of this variety with delicious toasty notes from the oak. The Touriga Nacional showcases this prized indigenous variety's signature black fruit and violet characters alongside a well-integrated spiciness from 12 months in French oak.
30 other products in the same category:
