The douro

The Douro is a Portuguese wine region centered on the Douro River in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region. It is sometimes referred to as the Alto Douro (upper Douro), as it is located some distance upstream from Porto, and sheltered by mountain ranges from coastal influence.

History

Winemaking in the region dates to the later Roman Empire, during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, After the fall of Rome and evolution of the Christian kingdoms of Iberi from the mid-12th century, Cistercians had an important influence on winemaking through their three monasteries in the region

In the 17th century, the region's vineyards expanded, and the earliest known mention of "Port wine" dates from 1675. The subsequent establishment of many British Port lodges in Porto meant that Port wine became the primary product of the region. As part of the regulation of the Port’s production, a royal Portuguese charter of 1756 defined the production region for Port wine, making it the world's first wine region to have a formal demarcation. The vineyards covered by this demarcation were situated in the western part of the present region. Later, the vineyards have progressively expanded to the east into hotter and drier areas.

While table wine has always been produced in the region, it was not until the 1990s when a large number of higher-quality wines made their appearance. A contributing factor was Portugal's entry into the European Economic Community in 1986, which meant that the Port lodges' monopoly was abolished, paving the way for producers in the Douro valley to produce and bottle their own wine - Port or dry Douro wines. At this stage, several Port houses also introduced Douro wines into their range.

climate and terroir

The Douro wine region is situated around the Douro river valley and lower valleys of its tributaries. The region is sheltered from Atlantic winds by the Marão and Montemuro mountains and has a continental climate, with hot and dry summers and cold winters.

The overall geology is a mix of decomposed schist and granite, with thin stony soils on the steep terraced slopes and deeper alluvial soils on the valley floors.

The Douro is usually subdivided into three subregions, from the west to the east:

• Baixo Corgo ("below [the confluence with the] Corgo"), a subregion with the mildest climate and most precipitation. Although it was was planted first, in general, it is considered to give wines of lesser quality than the other two subregions.

• Cima Corgo ("above [the River] Corgo") is the largest subregion with 19,000 hectares (47,000 acres) of vineyards, and where the majority of the famous Quintas are located.

• Douro Superior ("upper Douro") is the hottest and driest of the subregions, and stretches all the way to the Spanish border. It has 8,700 hectares (21,000 acres) of vineyards and is the source of many wines of very good quality. As it is the least accessible of the three subregions, it is the most recently planted, and it is still expanding.

Terraced vineyards are very common in the Douro region. Vineyards dedicated to Port production are usually planted on schist while areas with granite-based soils are used for table wine production.

quinta das heredias

With a history of 900 years, Quinta das Herédias was one of the properties founded by the Cistercian Monastery of São Pedro das Águias, in the spirit of the Order of St. Bernard: to populate and cultivate lands donated to the monastery. Later, these same properties were leased by the monastery to families of the region, some of them nobles. After the dissolution of the religious orders in 1834, the estate was taken in ownership by the last descendant of the Herédia family, D. Leonor Amália Falcão Sarmento. After several years of leasing and managing the estate, now known as Quinta das Herédias was purchased by Carlos Lucas in 2021. Located in the Douro municipality of Tabuaço, the Quinta has 108 hectares, of which 30 hectares are vineyards and 35 hectares are olive groves. The vineyards, aged between 30 and 130 years old, are located between 650 and 1550 ft elevation on decomposed schist soils and produce an average of 220,000 bottles per year.

THE WINES

Heredias Tinto: a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Amarela, grown on schistose/granitic soils. Full destemming, then maceration for 24hr before fermentation in stainless steel. Racked off and lightly filtered before bottling. Youthful yet complex, with good structure and mouthfeel. Dark cherry and plum fruit with a long, well-balanced finish.

Heredias Reserva: a blend of Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Barroca. Hand-harvested. Totally destemmed, then maceration and fermentation in stainless steel tank at low temperature to preserve primary fruit aromatics.. Aged for 6 months in new french oak barrels, then 6 months in bottle before being released on the market. Intense ruby color. Young, and full of fruit. Notes of wild fruits with subtle notes of toast from the barrel. Excellent freshness, complexity and acidity. Long and persistent finish with bright tannins.