Douro Deep Dive

Portugal's Premier Wine Region

The iconic Douro Valley has long since been the jewel in the crown of Portugal's wine scene! It's the spiritual home of the infamous port production, as well as home to some of the most exciting red wines in Europe. The main grape of this region, and of Portugal is undoubtedly Touriga Nacional. Often blended with a host of other local grape varieties, this is a noble grape, and we have teamed up with the talented crew at Quinta da Pedra Alta to bring you three exciting red blends, all with varying amounts of Touriga Nacional in them.

Quinta da Pedra Alta

Quinta da Pedra Alta is a well-respected wine estate in the stunning Douro Valley wine region of Portugal. The estate is now owned by ex-England Rugby coach Ed Woodward and the team at the helm here is seriously good at what they do. Winemaker João Pires is one of our favourite oenologists in the region and we tend to recognise his wines from a mile away. João favours natural, wild yeast fermentations for all of his wines, and is making arguably some of the best white wines in the region. He prefers a "fresher" style, so picks his fruit a bit early and everything here is on the restrained side of things, with slightly lower alcohol levels than you might expect from the region. Matt Gant - an Aussie winemaker - also plays a role in the winemaking side of things at Pedra Alta and between him and João, the estate is fast becoming one of the finest in the entire valley - now that's saying something! João and the team have just recently created an exclusive blend of wines just for us here at Good Pair Days.

The Wines

1. 'Encostas Lote 1' Touriga Blend 2020 Blend one of three: 51% Touriga Nacional, 35% Tinta Barocca, 11% Touriga Franca and 5% Sousão. A stunning density of fruit here. This is as powerful and intense as it is elegant. Notes of chocolate and sweet berry fruit dominate the entry, with more confected notes of candy floss and black cherry and herbal notes of rosemary. Taut mouthfeel, ripe tannin, classic Douro. 2. 'Encostas Lote 2' Touriga Blend 2020 Blend two of three: 35% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 30% Tinta Barocca and 5% Sousão. If you like your wines on the slightly more structured end of the spectrum, then the addition of Touriga Franca here will be welcome. This blend is a bit leaner and brighter, with a touch more cherry red fruit. This has length and class, with drawn-out powdery tannins, minerality and a dusting of black pepper and violets. 3. 'Encostas Lote 3' Touriga Blend 2020 Blend three of three: 38% Touriga Nacional; 33% Touriga Franca; 26% Tinta Barroca; 3% Sousão. This is a chewy delight. More tannin, more coffee and mocha notes that blends One and Two and overall a little bit greener. This is a lovely little number, and not exactly what you'd expect from the Douro, but we do love what Tinta Barocca brings to the wine here. Red fruits abound, this is a vinous wine.