Aromas of spice part to currant, underbrush and brambly fruit elements in this taut, full-bodied red, with ironlike mineral and sandalwood notes echoing on the moderately tannic finish. Drink now through 2023. 791 cases made. Wine Spectator, 91 Points

 

WINE INFORMATION

This estate in the gorgeous Douro Valley of Portugal believes that the dry wines of the area can rival the greatest international wines of the world due to its superb terroirs.  In 2017, the estate will celebrate its 260th birthday.  In 2004, a group of investors bought the property and appointed a new director and agronomist, the same team responsible for reviving the respected port house of Quinta do Noval. Their first move was to carefully nurture the oldest vines of the estate and to create a large program of replantation to improve plots in the best microclimates.  In 2005, they built a new winery (two-thirds of which is located underground to aid with cool cellaring).and fitted it with the latest equipment.

 

Quinta do Romaneira has over 3 kilometers of frontage on the serene Douro River.  The best wines of the region are made within sight of it the river which is the case for all of the Quinta’s red grapes.  As is typical for the region, they are planted in schist soils on terraces along the steep hillsides of the river, using rock walls to stabilize each level for farm work. The winery owns 85 hectares of vineyards in total, specializing in typical Douro red grapes.  There are just a few experimental hectares of Petit Verdot which has produced exciting results. 

The Petit Verdot comes from vineyards planted in Schist soils. After harvest the grapes were vinified in conical stainless steel vats and then aged for 14 months in French oak barriques, 30% new.